NC State’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America met Monday night to listen to guest speaker, Heather Harder, the national president of the PRSSA and a recent graduate from Elon University. 

The NC State chapter of the PRSSA is a part of the  national organization the Public Relations Society of America. These societies provide networking opportunities for students and professionals in the public relations field. 

The student society is extremely important people looking to hit the ground running after graduation, according to Harder.

“Although it is possible to obtain internships in the field, most internship opportunities give preference to members of the PRSSA,” Harder said. 

According to students within the organization, a person looking for a job right out of college would need about six  internships to be competitive. 

This same phenomenon occurs in many fields related to communication, such as journalism. In these fields, a school degree may not mean as much as real personal experience, according to Harder, which is why organizations such as these are such an asset to students at NC State.

Recent college graduates can sometimes be more helpful to students than seasoned professionals because of their insights into the current state of the job market and information on low-level hiring opportunities. 

“In my own experience,” Harper said. “Some of the most useful contacts I’ve made have been recently graduated college students.”

The student society also works with The Pack, NC State’s student public relations firm. The Pack has taken on many local projects over the years, but has also been involved with major national organizations as recently as last semester. 

Student membership to the PRSSA gives members access to a database of professionals both in the Triangle and nationally. 

Not including the number of professionals affiliated with both organizations, there are 11,500 student members in 343 chapters across the United States.