The Personal Side of Public Relations
By Lacy Barnes
“Just keep trucking.”
This simple, yet direct and to the point statement was the best advice Cassie Gage had for graduating seniors wanting to pursue public relations careers. In the whirlwind that is my last semester college, it is comforting to hear something so easy. With graduation growing near, my final classes lingering over my head and multiple people asking what I plan to do with my life come May, simple advice is refreshing to say the least.
Gage is an Assistant Director of Communications at The University of Oklahoma where she works in OU’s athletic department in media relations. As the media contact for both volleyball and softball programs at OU, Gage is never in one place for long. Having my own career aspirations of working in athletics, getting the chance to sit down and talk with Gage was both encouraging and helpful.
Working in big-time Division I athletics, Gage has gained public relations experience unique to most other work environments. Cassie travels full-time with the softball team and part time with the volleyball team in order to cover their games and regulate media coverage. This type of public relations on the fly has taught Gage how to be efficient, thick-skinned and accepting of change.
The biggest changes during her career in public relations have been personal, in order to adapt to her environment.
“What surprised me the most about public relations was how much I had to change to survive,” Gage said. “Five years ago, people could run over me and make fun of me and I would just take it. I’ve had to learn how to step up, speak my mind and be confident in myself and my work.”
Growing up in a family surrounded by athletics, Gage said she always knew she wanted to work in sports.
“As a senior in high school I received the opportunity to write for a high school Web site network called iHigh.com which led to a position as a sports correspondent in the local paper,” Gage said. “From there I was offered a sports information scholarship to East Mississippi Community College and the rest they say is history.” Gage went on to earn her Bachelor of Art in Communication with an emphasis in public relations from Mississippi State University.
After being in the profession full-time for four years now, two at OU and two as the Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations at Mississippi State, Gage says the majority of her job involves writing.
According to Gage, “The top skills students who want to pursue public relations need are writing to get the job along with desire and passion to keep you there. It’s important to know your audiences as well because I need to write for an audience that’s critical of what I’m saying about my team.”
Gage also touched on the importance of timeliness in her career, “It’s really important to make deadlines in public relations. We live in a world where everyone wants information as soon as it happens.”
With all the technical advice that could be given about finding and starting a career in public relations, Gage finds it’s the simple life-lessons that are most useful when trying to succeed in a profession.
“If you want it, go for it and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. When people knock you down, and they will, dust yourself off and keep going. And when you do fail, which you will, learn from it and make yourself better. I’ve always been a believer in remembering where you come from. There’s a difference between being arrogant and being confident and distinguishing that can be the difference in getting what you want or having everyone hate you.”
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