As a PR major, it is essential to our success to develop transferable skills. Transferable skills can include anything from good organizational skills to remaining calm under pressure. Luckily for PR students at Temple University, there are a variety of ways to expand this skill set. From internships to student organizations, the possibilities are endless. However, I decided to take a different path.
During the fall semester of my junior year, I became a Resident Assistant (RA) for Temple’s University Housing and Residential Life. I joined because I wanted to help other students like my RA had helped me. I had no idea how much my RA position would help in building my transferable skill set.
Here is the list of transferable skills that I developed as an RA:
• Organization: As an RA, I have to manage 50 underclassmen while also balancing my own work. Each resident has a folder that I’m in charge of updating regularly.
• Event Planning: Each month, I am required to complete two programs for the residents on my floor and in the building. This means I need to write a proposal, complete a catering order, create advertisements, and get people to come to the event. It is very similar to planning events in the PR world, just on a smaller scale.
• Crisis Communication: RA’s are on duty once a week and also have three duty weekends a semester. This means they hold a specific phone that residents and security guards can call if there are any problems. Sometimes, there are major issues in a building that need to be handled immediately. In essence, answering the duty phone is like responding to a PR crisis.
My position as an RA proves that you can use different opportunities to build your transferable skill set. While it is important to have PR experience during college, you should use every volunteer opportunity and job you have to develop your transferable skill set.
What other ways can PR students develop transferable skills? Let us know!
This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Alex Crispino.
This is SO true. As an RA I feel he exact way. Now that i think about it, everything I do in college is transferable to the PR profession. PR professionals are always on top of things with a laundry list of tasks to do... and they make it look effortless! Being able to get things done, and get them done well, is a skill that I will definitely need in my profession.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! :)