Careers in Comms Panel: What Students and New PR Pros Want to Know

Posted on Jun. 14, 2024  /  Professional Development  /  Subscribe 0

By Rachael Clifford

PRSA Phoenix’s Mentorship Program hosted a Careers in Comms panel inviting those interested in a career in communications, marketing and public relations to learn from four local communications professionals. 

The upshot from the discussion was that it didn’t matter if you worked in government, sports, education or in-house for a tech company, a career in communications means you’re always learning something new. You can’t go it alone to succeed in your job and professional development. You’ll always be the biggest advocate for your career, but getting support from your mentors, colleagues and peers can make the journey easier.

Featured panel speakers included:

Ashley Patton
Deputy Communications Director, City of Phoenix

Herminia Rincon
Public Relations Manager, ASU Online

Jaci Brown
Vice President Content & Communications, D-Backs

Alyx Cima
Corporate Communications Manager, ASM

To recap the event, we’re sharing burning questions from the audience and the takeaways our the panelists.

How do you get a job in our field without direct experience?

None of the panelists started their career out with a job title that even had the words “communications”, “public relations” or “marketing” in them. Careers take many twists and turns, so it is all about working with what you have. Infuse your experiences together to show your future employers you can be successful and have the ability to learn in your new role. 

Ashley worked at a dance studio and still uses her experience dealing with dance moms and event planning in her current role leading the city of Phoenix’s communications team.

Jaci started in politics and used the analytical skills she learned early on to develop baseball stat content for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Alyx’s first job out of college was TV reporting in Chico, California, but she still uses her storytelling skills to manage communications for ASM, a global semiconductor company.

Herminia worked in law enforcement and now uses her information-gathering and analysis skills to tell compelling stories about ASU Online’s students and programs. 

It’s more useful to play up what experience you do have than dwell on what you don’t.

What do managers look for when they’re hiring?

All the panelists said they value soft skills and select team members based on whether or not they’re a good culture fit. 

Alyx said she values humility. She looks for people who enjoy the grind and can work in a fast-paced environment.

Herminia looks for people invested in the hustle and those who are a good culture fit since most skills are teachable.

Ashley believes in the power of the cover letter, saying if you can’t tell your own story in a one-page cover letter, how are you going to be able to tell the story of the organization you’re trying to work for?

At every step in the hiring process, spotlight your soft skills. Your resume is a tool to show hiring managers you’re qualified, but there is so much more that goes into selecting the best candidate. So don’t discount the things that make you a great team member. 

What is the best way to introduce yourself to someone new?

Jaci recommends being direct and specific about your intent. If you’re messaging someone on LinkedIn, be upfront about why you want to connect with them. Do you want to grab coffee? Are you interested in learning more about a job posting? If you want to introduce yourself at an event, tell them who you are and why you’re there. Be transparent, it’ll save you time, get you what you need, and establish a relationship based on trust and communication. 

How can you prepare for the challenges of a role in this field?

The biggest challenge of being a professional communicator is translating complex information into easy-to-understand messages for your target audiences. All of the panelists shared they learn something new every day, so be ready to Google things you don’t know and ask questions. 

The key is to show confidence. Know you are the expert in communicating, even if you don’t feel like the smartest person in the room. The panelists agree that collaborative environments where dumb questions or bad ideas don’t exist are the best spaces to make magic happen.

Key takeaways:

• Infuse the experiences and skills that will make you successful in a new role.

• Soft skills are valuable. 

• Be direct and be specific about your intent.

• Be confident and resourceful.

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