This semester in PRSSA we were graced with the presence of Melissa Scovronski, the Public Affairs and Marketing Manager for the Metropolitan Airports Commission. Melissa had great advice for us, but I think one of the most important things she, and many other PR professionals, have told us is to keep writing, and write well!
In Public Relations, writing is incredibly significant. PR professionals write almost daily and are responsible for producing impressive content without grammatical errors. As potential professionals, it is our job to prepare ourselves for the working world by sharpening the skills that will be most useful in our desired fields. As Melissa said, “Everyone can write, but not everyone can write well.”
Most of us are, or will soon be, applying for internships and jobs. Our potential employers want to see examples of our writing and want to be confident in our writing abilities. I have decided to use this entry to lay out a few ways to practice and perfect writing skills.
- Create a blog.
In a world overrun with social media, it is easy to refrain from blogging due to the huge amount of content already available. However, blogging will keep you writing regularly, hopefully exploring topics you are passionate about, and also give others a chance to read your work.
- Take advantage of writing and journalism classes.
As college students, we are a lucky portion of the population with the ability to expand our knowledge through classes and workshops. By taking advantage of writing classes offered in school, we can get direct feedback and encouragement from teachers who have great insight on what we can to do improve our writing.
- Learn and practice correct grammar.
Though we have been learning grammar for more than 15 years, it is essential to perfect it. A piece of writing submitted with simple grammar mistakes is likely to scare away editors. If there are little things you have always gotten wrong (ex. who vs. whom), look them up, and get them right.
Now that you have a few tools and ideas, start writing! It is never too early to get ahead.
So true, this is exactly why I started blogging. It’s such good practice, and it has a few other benefits like networking and building an online profile to name a few.