West Virginia University Reed College of Media traveled to Pittsburgh this month to visit two of the city’s largest local agencies: BrunnerWorks and Gatesman+Dave.
This professional opportunity, sponsored by the College’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter, allowed 14 strategic communications juniors and seniors to tour agency facilities, speak with upper-level management, engage in professional development and discuss entry-level positions.
At BrunnerWorks, students enjoyed a facilities tour, meeting multiple partners and employees. The group had the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the day-to-day functions of each agency department.
BrunnerWorks Vice President and Director of Public Relations Steve Radick says that the agency tours are mutually beneficial and provide a renewed sense of energy at the agency.
“You can always tell when there’s a group of students at the agency that day. There’s more energy, more laughter, more excitement,” said Radick of the WVU tour. “By hosting students, we do more than deepen our recruiting pipeline; we draft off their energy and personalities and learn about ourselves and our jobs. I think we benefit from their presence just as much as they do. I’m looking forward to working with them all in the near future.”
Gatesman+Dave provided the group with an hour-and-a-half conversation with seven different employees, ranging from new hires to senior account managers, to ask questions and learn about the agency experience. Employees were brought in one or two at a time, based on their experience, and had a candid discussion with the group about the ins and outs of agency life.
WVU’s chapter of PRSSA organizes and attends agency visits every semester, along with a variety of other professional development opportunities such as national & regional conferences, peer mentorship programs, community service ventures and published writing opportunities.
To learn more about WVU’s PRSSA chapter, visit http://prssa.orgs.wvu.edu/, or attend one of the bi-weekly Monday meetings at 5 p.m. in Martin Hall 205.