An undergrad’s experience of PR by Elsa Carron

Aug 12, 2013 by SuperUser

As an English literature major, the most common thing I hear is: oh, so are you going to be a teacher? Then when they learn I’m minoring in Japanese you can almost hear them thinking: what are you going to do with that?

I like my course – I’m passionate about it and it makes me a more enthusiastic person. It is about more than reading classics; it is learning the ins and outs of writing and what culture means. English literature and other liberal arts subjects are made for those who like unusual pathways to employment; even though it means having to explore different possibilities, and, sometimes, taking a chance.

I took a chance at the beginning of my first year of university, signing up for a PR module as my elective. It caught my attention because it involved learning to write effectively. I thought, this is great. I love writing in any shape or form; this module is made for me. That’s when I took a closer look and noticed that students would also be gaining valuable interviewing and presentation skills: through group presentations. I nearly turned away from that PR module. I’ve done street theatre and stood on a stage in front of a thousand people, but class presentations still make me want to run the other way.

So, working with people I haven’t chosen and presenting in front of a class, not my favourites; on the other hand, writing, editing, storytelling: yes, please, I want more – I’ll make mistakes and love it. I was on a fence: to PR or not to PR, convinced that taking the plunge would feel like an icy cold bath. Love of writing tipped me over that fence, and I don’t regret one moment, not even my trembling hands during my group presentation.

As it turned out, every other student there was a PR or marketing major. Cue, gulp, what am I doing here? I allowed myself a moment of panic and then I realized that the knowledge I gained in liberal arts studies could be transferred to PR.  Even better, theoretical skills in liberal arts, such as good writing, editing, research, being creative and accurate, became skills I could apply when drafting a press release, finding out what a client wants or preparing a campaign plan.

That elective module opened my eyes to the world of PR. That you can be a liberal arts student and have more than teacher as an employment option. That PR is demanding, yet exciting, interesting and versatile. It can take you anywhere.