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Degree and Year: BJ '00, MA '02 (Advertising) Company: Patrick Davis Communications Title: Associate Counselor City and State: Atlanta, Ga. What do you do? I'm an associate with a strategic communications counseling firm in Atlanta specializing in media relations, marketing communications, brand development and event planning. How did you get your job? Networking, networking and more networking. Joining the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America was my most valuable job-hunting tool. I went on countless information interviews with PRSA members. My current employer contacted me without even seeing my resume and knew several people I'd met through PRSA. A targeted "self ad" as a follow up to my interview was the icing on the cake, and I got the job offer. Of course, having a graduate degree from one of the world's most prestigious journalism schools certainly didn't hurt. Best professional lesson learned at the J-School? The talented faculty and challenging curriculum at MU taught me to write with clarity and precision, think strategically, apply creative ideas to real world problems and conduct thorough research. I gained the skills necessary to take on major responsibilities shortly after landing my first job. What would be your best advice to current students? Begin networking with professionals as early as your junior year. Schedule informational interviews during breaks and meet as many people as possible in your industry prior to graduation. What is one thing you wished you had done? I wish I had started networking earlier. I didn't know very many professionals prior to graduation, and this hindered my job search. 
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| Revised: 18 April 2007. Copyright © 2008 The Curators of the University of Missouri | Contact the J-School | |
