5 Things To Do Over Spring Break

Spring break is a great way to take time to brush up on your public relations presence in all aspects.  This much needed break can be used for more than catching up on sleep. With no other school work to get in your way, take the time to get a head start on these things:

Start a Blog
Starting a blog is a great way to build your writing skills and create published work.  Blogs are a great conversation piece and can help get your name and your talent out in the public relations world.

Create/Touch Up Your Portfolio
At many of the agencies toured by Illinois State University’s PRSSA, professionals stress how important it is to have an updated and presentable portfolio.  Portfolios can be a hard-copy or an online portfolio.  If you have the time, create both! Your portfolio is a great way to showcase all of your previous work and skills for potential employers to look at.  Bringing your portfolio to an interview is recommended and some have said referring to your portfolio during an interview is encouraged.  Putting together a portfolio can be time consuming so take the long week and put together or touch up yours.

Update Your Resume
Almost all job and internship applications require you to submit a resume.  Many professionals in the public relations industry have said that one’s resume is the first thing they look at and if they are not impressed in a few seconds they will move on to the next resume.  Create a unique and creative resume, no more than a page long.

Read
Over break, take the time to read; whether is it is a good novel or staying up-to-date on a favorite blog.  Being familiar with what is happening in the world and in the news is very important in the public relations industry.  Read the newspaper, stay on top of big news and read blogs. 

Brush Up on Your Social Media Presence
Social media plays an important role in the public relations industry as well.  Although it may seem simple to create a social media account, it takes a lot more to maintain its presence.  Take the time to create a name for yourself on your digital platform.  Follow others in the public relations industry on Twitter (trust me, there are a lot of them) and start a conversation.  This is a great way to create connections and build relationships.


By Maggie Ziemann