Before I start this post, you should know more about my PR experience. While I was in college I interned in both fashion and book publicity. I was an active member of PRSSA, attended regional and national conferences, and held executive board positions. I did anything I could do to learn more about PR, from attending school workshops to conducting informational interviews with different companies. I was, and still am, a sponge when it came to PR. Looking back on it now, these experiences taught me what sectors of PR I thought I wanted to work in. After all that’s what college is for right?

When I graduated I had my heart set on finding a job in consumer or travel PR. I had a good understanding of the industries and felt my experiences would make me great fit. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity to find a job, I stopped searching for the dream job and lived by the motto: beggars can’t be choosers. Did I give up too soon? Was I supposed to hold out for my dream job? Or did I do the right thing by taking a job to gain valuable experience that would hopefully translate into other sectors of PR?

The first job I took out of college was for a small PR agency. Although it had little to do with my passions, it did teach me a lot about myself. I believe it shaped my PR skills and definitely helped me to advance my career. So for me, I think I made the right choice. Now I currently work as an associate publicist for a book publicity firm. Anyone that knows me would say it’s the perfect job for me. Why? Because I’m a book worm. But I  still want to see what else is out there. What other sectors of PR have to offer.

What I want to know is how can we, as PR professionals, gain experience in different industries? Should we take a lower position at a company we’d love to work for and start over? Are we at a disadvantage when we choose one sector over another? Are our skills really that transferable?

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