Written by Claire Sigler, professional development director for Allen Hall Public Relations.
At our Jan. 30th meeting we were joined by Raelyn Martin, former Allen Hall Public Relations Firm Director. Following graduation, Raelyn was selected to be a part of the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP) program and moved to New York City to pursue a career in experiential marketing. After interning at Berlin Cameron for three months, she landed a full-time position as an assistant account executive at Jack Morton Worldwide, a global brand experience agency.
Here are our top takeaways from our meeting with Raelyn:
Do not let anyone stop you from following your dreams.
How are you going to pay your first month’s rent? How are you going to move all your stuff? Do you realize New York City is one of the most expensive places in the U.S. to live? These are just a few of the things people asked Raelyn in response to her big move. Raelyn’s advice to the firm was to just do it. “You will have a million reasons telling you not to move where you want. Just do it. I am the happiest I have ever been.” She encouraged the firm to follow their dreams and work toward their own personal goals without letting the opinions of others get in the way.
Let your connections evolve organically.
One of the most valuable lessons Raelyn learned while looking for a job is to grow your connections organically. She chatted with the Jack Morton Senior HR Director on several separate occasions including the 2017 SOJC New York trip, a MAIP agency visit and a career fair before she applied for a position at the agency. The Senior HR Director got to know Raelyn through these networking events and emailed her when a job opening came up. Raelyn emphasized the importance of developing a network with real relationships and not just trying to make connections with people to land a job. Those quality relationships are much more valuable in the long run.
Communicate with your employer.
When asked what challenged her most when entering the workforce, Raelyn answered that she felt extremely prepared for her first job with her double major in advertising and public relations behind her. However, she reminded us that all jobs have learning curves and can be difficult to adapt to at first no matter how much experience you have. Raelyn told the firm that the best thing they can do at their first job is be communicative with our employer. Raelyn continued, “I encourage you all to remind your employer where you are struggling and might need help as you are just coming out of college.” Her employees have always been more than happy to help and she loves working for a company that strongly values the professional development of its employees.