Welcome to the Real World

They say college is supposed to prepare you for the working world.  In many ways, my degree in Communication Studies has proven immeasurable when it comes to research methods, knowing media outlets, brand messaging, and distribution platforms for entertainment products. 

However, what college didn’t teach me is how the real working world works.  There are a few things that college could not prepare me for that I’m learning at my first job at Bender/Helper Impact.

Even with my Communication Studies degree, my communication skills at work are constantly being tested and stretched.  I’m learning the dynamics of working in a group and as a team player.  While college work was mostly a solitary experience – writing papers, taking tests – I am never really working alone on the job.  Everything I do goes through a review process and is refined and improved upon by various members of my team.

This review process also throws my usual time-management skills for a loop.  Whereas in college I could get away with procrastination and pull an all-nighter here or there, that isn’t possible when projects require constant feedback and review.  Also, in school you’re given all your assignments in the beginning, laid out like a map that’s easy to follow.  But in the real world of PR, where seemingly every hour new tasks pop up from the client or as an offshoot from an existing task, you need to be flexible and efficient.  This is an industry where you need quality and quantity, and the only way to get to that level is through experience.

In my time here as an account coordinator, I’ve learned so much.  My university gave me the building blocks for the real world, but it’s here at Bender/Helper Impact, where I’m using these blocks to form a solid foundation that will help me grow and succeed throughout my career.

[cross-posted]