As much as I love going to class and learning as much as I can from my professors, there is something unique about sitting down with an industry professional to learn some insight about what they do. Recently I had the chance to sit down with Madeline Hollern, an editor from Austin Monthly, during a photo shoot and pick her brain about the communication industry.
Grabbing coffee before I went into work at Small Coffee, my boss sent me a text that Madeline would be in the studio and was more than happy to chat with me when I got in. Knowing how busy professionals in the communication world are, I was ecstatic to get into work and spend some time with Madeline, though I will admit I was nervous. Quickly, I scribbled down some questions in my journal to ask if I was completely at a loss for words, preparing myself for a professional and serious discussion. But what happened at work was most definitely not that.
My chat with Madeline and my boss Clarisa took place while sitting on the floor of the studio while the photographer and art director did their thing beside us. The casual and natural conversation led us to discuss how to effectively pitch a story to journalists, how to not get lost in a flood of emails from other PR specialists and how to maintain a good relationships with other people in the media. Madeline answered every question I asked with her expertise and with joy, which made me feel comfortable and that she didn’t mind spending time with a young professional.
I am usually intimidated when speaking with professionals who know their field like the back of their hand. I always feel like I will ask an irrelevant question or waste their time, but the more I speak with those in my field I have discovered that most are happy to answer any questions and talk about what they do. I often forget that they were once in my shoes too, trying to learn as much as possible before entering the industry as full-time adults.
So next time you find yourself around someone in your industry, ask all the questions you can, add them on Linkedin and make that connection. Is there someone at a certain company you want to meet? Reach out to them! They may say no, but you may also find yourself getting coffee with them next week.
As a young gal just trying to find her place in the PR world, connections mean everything (shoutout to all my professors who were right). My goal is to learn as much as I can about my future profession by the time I graduate so I know what I want to do and more about how the industry works. This sparks my journey to meet and chat with people in my industry who don’t mind sitting down with me and letting me talk to my heart’s content. Stay tuned to see who I chat with next.
Avidly,
Allison