Another New Beginning

I am moving into my new house on campus today! Technically I moved all of my belongings there last week, but tonight will be my first night spent in the new place. Although a part of me wishes that summer was eternal, a big part of me is also looking forward to going back to school. After all, it will be fun to go back to living independently and in close proximity to all of my Temple friends. I also find the idea of starting a fresh semester with new classes, new opportunities for growth and new faces to meet exciting.

I feel that future planning and goal setting are skills that are essential to continued success. For this reason, at the beginning of each new semester, I make a point of revisiting and revising my list of goals. I like to look back over the past year and try to identify areas in which I have grown and areas on which I need to focus more energy.

Here are some of my goals for this year:

• Work on writing catchy headlines and subject lines. As I mentioned in a previous post, this was an area in which I consistently struggled during my summer internship.
• Staying on top of the news and current events. I understand how crucial it is in this business to have a good understanding of local, world and industry news, but in the past I have sometimes felt that I was "too busy" to read the daily news or found that it would slip my mind. Although I have a packed schedule again this semester, I recognize the need for news-reading to be a major priority in my daily routine.
• Bringing some more of my voice and personality to my writing. My boss at my internship this summer had a way of breathing life into her writing while still managing to keep it professional. I really admired that quality of her writing and hope to develop a similar voice in my own writing.
• Engaging in community service. This is a great way to network while using your skills and talents to make a difference in the surrounding community.
• Becoming increasingly creative in my PR tactics. Now that I have completed two solid years of coursework and an invaluable summer internship, I feel that I have established a good understanding of the basics of PR. Although I know that I still have a lot to learn, I also feel ready to start learning about some of the more creative and innovative tactics associated with good PR.
• Learn more about the research and planning side of PR.
• Find new opportunities to write, new outlets for my writing and new sets of eyes to offer feedback.
• Gain more practice with pitching.
• Choose a potential area in which to specialize. Right now I am strongly considering doing PR in the health care or travel industries.
• Update my resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile.
• Begin to look into internship opportunities for the spring semester.
• Continue to learn about utilizing social media to connect with others.

The list goes on. Have you thought about your goals for the coming year? Whether you are a student or a well-established PR pro, I believe that having goals and vision can make all the difference in your ability to succeed in your future.