Kelsey's 10 Tips

This week at our PRSSA meeting, alumni Kelsey Giesler came back to talk to our chapter. Kelsey is a recent alumnus and is now working at Ohio Hi-Point. As do most people who come and speak to us they give us advice and tips about the life of a PR practitioner. And as always I took notes and listened, but this time was a little different. Unlike most of the people who come and speak to us I actually knew Kelsey on a personal level. She was a senior when I was a sophomore just getting my feet wet in the PR program. She was our Firm director and she helped me out on quite a few projects. So listening to her speak was pretty cool because I went through the learning process with her and knew her when she was in school.  

Towards the end of her time talking she gave us her 10 random pieces of advice. So, once again, I’m going to be a nice guy and give you Kelsey’s advice.

1. Take a journalism class:

Good writing is key. Everyone in the PR field says this, and if I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it one hundred times. You also need to be confident in your writing.

2. Take a statistics or data class:

Kelsey said that statistics can help back up any decision you make. Data can help persuade and it can provide credibility. So knowing what data you need and how to get it can be helpful.

3. Student loan repayments:

Talk to financial aid and figure out a plan. When you’re paying utilities and rent the last thing you want to worry about is missing student loan payments.

4. Have a broad knowledge of salary, benefits and insurance:

Kelsey said getting that first job and paycheck can be very exciting and just having a job is a good thing, but you need to have a basic sense of the above is beneficial.

5. Celebrate all the time:

Celebrate accomplishments, things going well, everything. If you have a good attitude will make people want to work with you.

5.5. (So there are actually 11 tips. Hey, we’re PR people, math isn’t our thing) NETWORK!:

Self-explanatory.

6. Be a jack of all trades:

Be able to do a little bit of everything. Having a wide variety of skills can be helpful.

7. Take risks:

Be willing to try new things and push your limits. If you take risks the rewards can be great.

8. Never think you’re an expert:

Be a constant learner. PR is an ever-changing field, so never think that you know everything because there will always be something new to learn.

9. Be informed:

Know what’s going on in the world around you. Being informed can give you credibility and something to talk about, other than just the weather.

10. PRSSA is the best thing ever!:

Kelsey said the benefits from being involved in PRSSA have been apparent everyday she has been a professional. PRSSA helped her get a job, helped her gain experience and much more.

There you have it; Kelsey’s 10 random tips. I hope they help!

Dropping some knowledge on you,

Jake