I have so much empathy for students who have to work to make ends meet and pay for school.
During my first year at the University of Oregon as an undergrad, I worked full time. I had worked full-time for about four years between high school and college. I sold cell phones and managed a retail store. It was hard. I didn’t want to work full-time, but I was paying my own way through school and had plenty of expenses, so there was no way around it.
After the first year, I realized this situation wasn’t feasible if I wanted to get internships, be involved with PRSSA and succeed in my classes. Something had to give. I chose to move home with my parents, work part-time and seek public relations opportunities. But I know that’s a tough choice and not one that some students have.
What if you have to work 25, 35 or 40 hours a week, go to school and you still want to get some hands-on experience before you graduate? Well, we already know you’re industrious, now you just need to be extra creative about beefing up your resume. Some tips:
- Determine how many hours a week you have to invest in gaining some experience. Likely you’ll be volunteering (at least at first), so figure out where you can carve out three to five hours.
- Ask around or find a nonprofit organization that has a mission that you believe in or a cause that you support. Connect with the executive director via a phone call or an email to ask if they need any public relations help – maybe write newsletter articles or send out press releases.
- If the executive director thinks you’d be a good fit, find a time to meet and create a plan for what you will do, who you’ll report to, and realistic expectations about your time and abilities. Be proactive. Come in with ideas and focus on projects that will help you gain portfolio samples and build your skills. If you can take on a project from start to finish and be involved along the way, that’s golden!
- You can also find “virtual opportunities” via Volunteer Match. On the home page, click “search for virtual opportunities” and then enter public relations as the keywords. If you try this option, I’d recommend either finding a local organization or a national one. I don’t think it would make sense, for example, to volunteer for an animal rescue in Okalahoma if you’re in Oregon and local animal rescues need your help.
- Look for freelance writing and part-time paid internship positions. If you could make $10 or $12 an hour doing PR, maybe you could supplement or replace your retail or barista job. For those able to secure these types of positions, it was a matter of listening, networking and letting people know what their interests are. You never know what will come your way if you’re diligent.
If you’ve had a creative volunteer or internship experience or you have other pieces of advice, leave them here! I’d love to hear your ideas.
Comments
4 responses to “When Work Gets in the Way”
I only work temporary jobs here and there and I still find it difficult to maintain my studies and get experience! Over the summer I interned for the Development Coordinator at Alvord-Taylor Independent Living Services, a non-profit in Springfield that assists people with disabilities. There were expectations but the hours were very flexible. The development coordinator was very appreciative of anything I could offer and very understanding of my availability. And I was still able to get some very good experience. In fact, the first press release I wrote was picked up by the Register Guard and became a story on the front page of the Springfield Extra! So, the moral of the story is to not be afraid to take Kelli’s advice and offer your time and skills to non-profits or groups because (for the most part) they will be very nice and completely understanding of our busy lives!
Great tips. As a working student, I have a few more to add.
1. Check out your university’s public relations/communication/marketing department. Internships with your university work great because you are already familiar with the institution and it’s on campus.
2. Keep a budget. I create on on MS Excel, mapping out what I have in my bank account and what bills I have for the next couple of months. It helps you figure out how much “play” money you have.
3. Find ways to become involved in PR through student organizations beyond PRSSA. I am the PR chair of the Student Government Association this year. You’ll get good experience, but it is more flexible than an internship.
4. Buy a nice planner. It’s hard to waste your hard-earned money one, I know. But it makes it much easier to coordinate your schedule with work, assignments and meetings.
Thanks Courtney & Rachel for your comments and your tips! Very helpful. I'm glad that you've both been able to get good experience. I know that working and going to school has made me a better professional. I'm sure you'll find the same to be true.
Such a relevant topic for college students today. I love reading advice from professionals who have been in my shoes first hand, and have overcome the challenges with grace.
Rachel- I really like #2 and #4 on your list!