by Emily Safron
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Coming into my freshman year of college, I was torn between declaring my major as public relations or advertising. In the end, I chose advertising due to my interest in its creative side. Since I couldn’t study both, I wanted to get involved in some way with public relations, which is why I chose to become a member of PRSSA. Several pre-professional organizations exist on our campus and, even if you aren’t a part of that major, you can still choose to immerse yourself and get involved. Below, I will be sharing four reasons why it is beneficial to get involved in pre-professional organizations, like PRSSA, that interest you, even if they are outside of your major!
1. Getting to meet others
When I joined PRSSA during my sophomore year, I signed up for the peer mentorship program. Not only did I get paired with a fabulous mentor, but I also got to meet others who were in the program. We had the opportunity to attend bonding events, allowing us to meet fellow mentors and mentees.
2. Networking opportunities
Every Chapter meeting serves as a networking event, whether that be with a peer, a faculty member or someone in the PR industry. When listening to a guest speaker from outside of The University of Alabama, I always take the initiative to connect with them on LinkedIn following the meeting.
3. Additional opportunities
In addition to Chapter meetings, PRSSA membership allows you to be able to attend PRSA Chapter meetings in your area. In the past, I’ve gotten the chance to attend the Alabama PRSA Chapter meetings in Birmingham, which have always served as great networking opportunities and are always fun afternoons!
The PRSSA executive board also offers ways to get involved with its own committees. During my sophomore and junior years, I served on the social media committee, where I got to write copy for the PRSSA social media accounts.
4. Leadership
The best way to really get involved in PRSSA is by joining the executive board. This year, I got the opportunity to serve on the board, allowing me to help plan meetings, events and opportunities for the Chapter. If you are interested in getting more involved in the Chapter, executive board applications will be available later this semester!
Emily Safron is a current senior double majoring in advertising and political science. Outside of PRSSA, Emily serves in positions for Capstone Agency, B+, SGA and Greek Programming Board. You can connect with Emily on Twitter and LinkedIn.