From NRC to the "Real World"

Hey Everyone!

I’m Emily, a Junior Public Relations & Advertising major at Marist, and I currently work as the Assistant Firm Director here at North Road Communications. Ever since my first day as Account Representative my sophomore year, NRC has taught me more than I could imagine about the public relations field. Most importantly, it has been instrumental in my efforts of gaining hands-on PR experience.

This time last year, I was frantically panicking to find my first summer internship. I knew I wanted to work at a PR firm, but as I was stalking job descriptions online, I thought to myself: who wants to hire someone with no experience? Obviously, I had taken my basic PR intro courses, but what did I have to offer to a firm that has top-notch brands as its clients?

After taking a step back, I realized I actually did have something to offer to potential internship employers. I remembered all the work I did with the BeaconArts team as an Account Representative. I helped write pitches, news releases, media lists, all for real clients. I was able to help work client events, build relationships, and use communication skills I hope to use in the future.

Without fail, NRC became the key talking point in all of my interviews. Employers were fascinated with how a “student-run PR firm” works and all the great work we do for nonprofits. I was able to explain how much I loved the work that I did on the BeaconArts team, and it landed me an awesome internship in New York City.

In such a competitive industry, you need internship experience to get an internship. NRC gave me that advantage, and allowed me to showcase my strengths in PR.

Now as Assistant Firm Director, I am able to work closely with clients and see first-hand all the amazing work each team produces. I am so excited to continue working with the firm, and can’t wait to see where it takes me next.