I didn’t expect some of the most important PR lessons to come before I was ever hired.
My passion for public relations began with my first college course: Principles of Public Relations. I learned the fundamentals, from media relations to message development.
After graduation, I found myself in the in-between. Degree still in its envelope, I spent my days applying to jobs and drinking a latte I couldn’t afford.
Scrolling social media, it felt like everyone else had their next move figured out. My feed was full of people seamlessly stepping into new chapters, celebrating new jobs, traveling the world, and getting engaged. It made me wonder if I had fallen behind.
Without realizing it, I started doing exactly what I had been studying for the past four years: managing perception. I began curating my own posts to reflect the same perfect post-grad life all my peers seemed to be living. Suddenly, every caption, story, and photo had all become intentional.
That’s when it clicked.
The same strategies I studied were playing out before my eyes: strategy, tone, timing, messaging. The “perfect” stories I was seeing weren’t accidental; they were curated. The peers I envied were running their own mini campaigns, just like I was.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in digital media, it’s this: content always needs to be purposeful.
Posting without intention is just internet clutter.
Every creator and brand is positioning themselves, whether they realize it or not. Understanding that shifted how I think about communication and storytelling
I didn’t need a full-time job to start learning PR. I was already practicing it. My first client was myself.
So, take it from me, managing your own PR can be challenging. Good thing you don’t have to do it alone.
Click here to learn how NP Strategy’s public relations experts can give your brand the right strategy and storytelling to meet your messaging goals.
