Tonight's blog entry comes thanks to my insomnia. Perhaps that's an irresponsible use of the word; I think the fact that I just spent the last forty minutes laying awake has more to do with my reversed sleep cycle than any particular disorder. My mind isn't helping me out though. My thoughts have been racing ever since my informational interview this evening. A contact I had made over the semester was nice enough to sit down for a cup of coffee with me. It was my first meeting of the sort, and I think I gained a lot through the hour-long discussion. I doubt it'll lead directly to a job opportunity, but I may have another hand in putting together a network of my very own.
A question that came up during the sit-down is what has been weighing heaviest on my mind right now. When asked what field I would like to go into, I actually stumbled a little bit before mentioning a few areas of interest. This used to be a no-brainer for me; I believe my Seneca app read something like 'represent a significant social, political or cultural organization or individual'. And although this may read like b.s. out of context, it was pretty true to my intentions entering this program. My dream gig was in music, working with a record label, radio station, concert promoter or something of that nature (but preferably away from the 'talent' as I don't think I could handle celebrity egos). This would've been the best fit for me, as I think I could've carved out a unique niche given my passion for the medium. Somewhere along the way, my aspirations have changed course. I'm getting a firmer idea of what I want to do; but like any answer - I'm left with even more questions than when I began.
My interactions with classmates this fall have reminded me that I'm a bit nerdier than the average PR student. Unless my memory's playing tricks on me, in the past friends have referred to me as a 'sociable geek'. If this is true, I'm curious to know if my niche could indeed lie elsewhere. My choices in literature, media consumption and art seem to have a very strong leaning towards the tech sector. My passion for blogging (and the study of its use for public relations) could make me a good candidate to a forward-looking company that keeps on top of tech-related trends. The politics surrounding developing technology, its social implications and even science fiction movies fascinate me just as much as the next line of consumer electronic gadgetry that always seems to be on the way. The idea of potentially being involved with this aspect of science & consumerism's marriage is something that would excite me. Obviously my connection would be indirect - I'm no engineer after all.
I was advised tonight to get into an agency, where instead of working for a single employer I would be taking on projects from a number of different clients and billing the appropriate hours. For those who are still a little cloudy, the easiest way to think of this would be to consider a private law firm. I could quickly build a network and potentially get experience in a number of different sectors in this setting. I've given this a lot of thought, but I'm actually a bit hesitant to go this route: I don't know if I'm that confident in my skills just yet. It would be a tough first job! From what I gather, new practitioners are generally eased into this fire, so it might not be too bad of a 'fit' for me fresh out of school.
Comically, I've actually been considering a much larger picture when it comes to be career goals. I think learning about the paths my profs have taken over the past term is partially to blame for this. I've always been fairly open about the fact that I would love the opportunity to teach at the post-secondary level, so it would come as no surprise that teaching PR would be one of my long-term aspirations if this career works out for me. This would be at the end of what I hope is a very long road.
So that's all fine and good, but what until then? Ideally, I would like to get 'around' as much as I can. I think it would make me the most knowledgeable teacher a student could ask for. I would like to bank some time in government and not-for-profit organizations along with a for-profit corporation. I also hope for management experience in at least two of these areas to have some basis in comparison.
When it comes down to specialization, I'd like to pursue an MBA, which could open up some lucrative opportunities in investor relations. I'd also like to try my hand at actual crisis communication consulting, but I think if I were to go the IR route I'd continue to only experience it in practice planning situations. This would be a crossroads I'd have to decide on when I got enough experience to consider either of these specialties.
After learning one of those two specialties, I think I'd want to try and go for my APR. It'd be nice to throw some more letters after my name, and it would set me up for my other late-career goals: independent consulting. This would be a cool way to approach full-circle, especially if I were to follow this up with returning to the classroom to teach. I'd like to do this because I think I would enjoy the responsibility of being my own boss. Plus, my hair's pretty thick - so the stress'll thin it out a bit! (*knocking on wood*) Seriously though, if I found myself in a management role with a considerable amount of autonomy, striking out on my own will likely not be as much of a priority.
So, I think that's what I'd like to accomplish. Knowing exactly where to start, and how to go about accomplishing it all is where all of the more pressing questions come in. Obviously, the former questions are a little more immediate, so I think that's where I'll focus my attention for the time being. I'm hoping to start my jobhunt-related research this weekend moving into the first week of classes.
Sorry if that got a bit too longwinded or industry-heavy. In closing, I'd highly reccomend talking to a professional in your area of interest. I did this a lot in first year of undergrad when I thought I wanted to be a Communication Studies prof, though at the time I didn't realize I was even doing it. In the short term, you can learn things from a different angle than the classroom allows for. The long term gain is obvious; its always nice to have someone looking out for you.
I just hope I came off as one should in tonight's. I generally interview well formally, so aside from my metal-mouth making me sound silly I tried to be informal but not too relaxed - a fine line indeed.
