One thing I didn't really think about until recently was the prep work that goes into going to a professional conference. I was so excited about the opportunity to attend and have these amazing experiences that I didn't think about what I needed to do beforehand. I realized that to maximize my time in Dallas I would need to make sure I was well prepared for anything that comes my way!
To do this I realized I would want to put my best self forward. I know this could be a great opportunity for me to network and possibly get a job offer, or at least learn more about what different people do in their areas of the industry. In order to take advantage of these opportunities I would need to come prepared with the right answers or items to show these people that I am ready to be successful in this industry.
One thing that is important in any business world is your business card. Not only is it a way for you to quickly exchange contact info, but it also acts as your personal branding. If your card is sloppy, has mistakes, isn’t quality, etc. then you may not be taken seriously. It could be the make or break factor that determines if that person ever reaches out or not.
Another important document is your resume. I have done a lot of editing to my resume recently. This is partly because I got my first real job that is related to the career field I actually want to go into, and partly because the person helping me with my resume before was my dad. Now you don’t know this, but my dad is an almost 60-year-old engineer who’s extent of knowledge in the PR/Events world ends at writing an email or making a phone call. This being said, he has only had experience with what STEM professionals want to see in a resume/potential new hire. They seem to stick to the traditional all black, no design, summary, etc. I have learned this year that my future industry is almost the exact opposite, so I have reworked my resume to be visually appealing and based on experiences, not technical skills. I am including one website that has some great tips for how to craft your resume! https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/3207-resume-writing-tips.html
One thing you will have to learn about me is I usually come off as a pretty extroverted person. I like working with people and experiencing new things, but there are also some things I think I hide pretty well. I am a very talkative person around people I know and am comfortable with, but I really struggle with talking to new people. I worry about making the right impressions, not having the right answers and sounding stupid, or just embarrassing myself in general. This is somewhat of a hindrance when you are trying to network with people. It has really been hard for me to walk up to someone and introduce myself. One way I plan to prepare for having to do this at the PRSSA conference is by doing mock interviews. I already have to do some mock interviews with one of my other classes, and I think these will be a great chance for me to practice for the conference.
Overall, I am hoping that all of my preparation pays off, and the conference goes smoothly!
Check out UVU PRSSA at http://www.uvuprssa.org, or on Instagram @prssa_uvu.
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