2 answers
Avery
Student
Olathe, Kansas
1
Question
Updated
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What should I know as a freshman public relations major?
I am currently a freshman pr major, what should I know about being an upperclassman, internships, careers, etc?
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2 answers
Yasmin Mohamed Alamin
Clinical Nutrition Student
63
Answers
Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
Updated
Yasmin’s Answer
Hi Avery 👋🏻...
Starting as a PR major feels a bit like stepping backstage for the first time. You suddenly see how messaging, storytelling, and relationships shape everything around us. As a freshman, there are a few things that make the next years much smoother.
You’ll notice pretty quickly that PR is less about memorizing theories and more about learning people. Pay attention to how brands talk, how crises unfold, and how audiences respond. That curiosity becomes one of your strongest tools later.
Try to build small experiences early, even if they don’t look like “real internships.” Join a campus club and help with their social media, volunteer to manage communications for a student organization, write for your university’s publication, or help run an event. These small roles turn into a surprisingly strong portfolio by your junior year.
When you start meeting upperclassmen, ask them what classes or professors shaped them the most. They’ll give you shortcuts that save you a lot of confusion.
For internships, the secret is starting earlier than you think. Reach out to local nonprofits, small businesses, or student-run agencies. They’re usually happy to bring in students who are willing to learn. And the earlier you get your feet wet, the more confident you’ll feel when the bigger internship opportunities appear junior year.
PR careers are wide: corporate communications, social media strategy, crisis management, event coordination, agency work, nonprofit storytelling. You don’t need to pick a lane now. Just follow what feels natural, and let experience guide you.
Your freshman year is a chance to experiment, practice your voice, and make connections without pressure. Everything you build now becomes your launchpad later.
Starting as a PR major feels a bit like stepping backstage for the first time. You suddenly see how messaging, storytelling, and relationships shape everything around us. As a freshman, there are a few things that make the next years much smoother.
You’ll notice pretty quickly that PR is less about memorizing theories and more about learning people. Pay attention to how brands talk, how crises unfold, and how audiences respond. That curiosity becomes one of your strongest tools later.
Try to build small experiences early, even if they don’t look like “real internships.” Join a campus club and help with their social media, volunteer to manage communications for a student organization, write for your university’s publication, or help run an event. These small roles turn into a surprisingly strong portfolio by your junior year.
When you start meeting upperclassmen, ask them what classes or professors shaped them the most. They’ll give you shortcuts that save you a lot of confusion.
For internships, the secret is starting earlier than you think. Reach out to local nonprofits, small businesses, or student-run agencies. They’re usually happy to bring in students who are willing to learn. And the earlier you get your feet wet, the more confident you’ll feel when the bigger internship opportunities appear junior year.
PR careers are wide: corporate communications, social media strategy, crisis management, event coordination, agency work, nonprofit storytelling. You don’t need to pick a lane now. Just follow what feels natural, and let experience guide you.
Your freshman year is a chance to experiment, practice your voice, and make connections without pressure. Everything you build now becomes your launchpad later.
Thank you!
Avery
Jerry Bires
career coach
71
Answers
Carbondale, Illinois
Updated
Jerry’s Answer
Avery,
Mine is a very tactical suggestion based on my own 7 years of PR work, beginning in 1983 (as per my LinkedIn profile). Learn how to write a news release, with an attention-getting headline and following the established format. For example, let's say your client introduces a new product.
The news is not that: "Microsoft Announces New Widget." The company is not the news; the widget is the true news.
Thus: "A new protocol converter, the first to not require a byte multiplexor interface, was announced here today by Microsoft. Named the Hydra II, the device will reduce mainframe to WAN communications costs by thousands of dollars."
In my experience, the properly written news release will endear you to the editorial community and make them more likely to publish this product announcement in their media. The editors will also know they are dealing with a professional PR agent.
Mine is a very tactical suggestion based on my own 7 years of PR work, beginning in 1983 (as per my LinkedIn profile). Learn how to write a news release, with an attention-getting headline and following the established format. For example, let's say your client introduces a new product.
The news is not that: "Microsoft Announces New Widget." The company is not the news; the widget is the true news.
Thus: "A new protocol converter, the first to not require a byte multiplexor interface, was announced here today by Microsoft. Named the Hydra II, the device will reduce mainframe to WAN communications costs by thousands of dollars."
In my experience, the properly written news release will endear you to the editorial community and make them more likely to publish this product announcement in their media. The editors will also know they are dealing with a professional PR agent.