Jackie Johnson Explains It All
by Erin Jackson
I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with one of my favorite relatives to talk about one of my favorite subjects: public relations, and more importantly, how to get a job after graduating!
Jackie Johnson has been in the Public Relations industry for almost 20 years. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Texas Women’s University in 1995 and has since been a practicing PR professional. While in college, she made sure she completed internships every summer. She knew how it important it was to have experience before graduating from college. She currently works for one of the places where she did one of her internships, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and has the title of “Public Relations Specialist.”
When asked what are the most pertinent tools needed by a PR Professional, Jackie says “Excellent writing skills are essential. I don’t know anyone in this business that is not excessively critical about correct grammar and punctuation. Time management is also very important. You will have to work under strict deadlines almost all of the time. There is no room for procrastination.”
I also asked Jackie what she believes is important for upcoming PR professionals to be knowledgeable about. “Students should most definitely take advantage of all classes geared toward technology that their program offers. Employers want to know that you are knowledgeable about modern software programs and new kinds of media.” I thought about how true this is in our era. There seems to be a new kind of software or social media outlet appearing everyday. When our Campaigns class was told to register on Twitter I did not understand, but now I realize it is to make us hip to new types of media.
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