Public Relations on the Small Screen

After years of watching Sex and the City, idolizing the lives of the four women, one of the characters drastically stood out to me; Samantha Jones. She owns her own Public Relations company, rubs elbows with the best of the best in New York City, throws first class parties and attends her fair share of them. She knows all the best hot spots in the city and has a Rolodex overflowing with names and numbers of the biggest, best and most elite of New York.

When I enrolled in my first public relations class, I walked in thinking that PR was more like a lifestyle than a career. Take Samantha Jones for example, she is her own boss, she is fierce and she makes a lot of money.

I thought that this was an accurate portrayal of the average Public Relations professional.

With each paper I write or with every grammar test I take, my vision of public relations professionals has changed drastically.

From:
Making a few calls, show up in a killer outfit, grab a cocktail and greet your famous guests with a kiss on the cheek.

To:
Countless of hours of work, endless to-do lists, 4 a.m. wake-up calls and 12-hour days. Coordinating the location (plan b location), theme, guest list, invitations, speakers (back up speakers), media lists, social media releases, itinerary, press releases, agenda, talking points, and promotion. Just to name a few.

PR just is not about throwing and attending parties, rubbing elbows or even raking in the money. I am now able to take what I have learned and feel confident to go out into the workplace. I will be able to rub elbows through networking, put on fabulous events that everyone will want to attend, all while making a name for myself as I begin my ascent to the top of the ladder of success.