Why Public Relations?
It all started with a TV show and an iconic character... Miss Samantha Jones from Sex in the City.
My interest in public relations was sparked by the glitz and glam of the entertainment PR industry that was famously shown on this TV show. When I pursued my bachelor's degree, I had TWO goals.
- Move to Los Angeles, CA
- Work in the entertainment industry
All I knew is that I had to get to California. So that is what I did. The summer before my junior year, I landed an internship in LA working at an entertainment PR firm on Melrose Ave. I stayed at the off campus apartments at UCLA, in my still favorite neighborhood, Westwood.
My summer consisted of press releases, carpet events, radio appearances and, of course, exploring all California had to offer. Those short three months are still some of the best experiences of my life.
Sadly, that summer had to end. I went back to school and two years later graduated with a B.A. in Public Relations & Social Media Management. The day after graduation, I had a one way flight to LAX and was ready to start working at my dream job! Long story short, things did not go as planned and I ended up moving back to Dallas, TX.
Getting a job in the PR industry was harder than anyone prepared me for. After three long months of living at home and constantly job hunting, I landed an internship at a PR firm in Dallas where I stayed for eight months. When I left that firm, I ended up working at a healthcare staffing company doing marketing and social media. Working in marketing in an industry I never saw myself in was a huge challenge and I learned so much. I left that company due to difference of opinions, to put it nicely, after being there for a little over a year. Once again, I found myself jobless.
Leaving my job was not the smartest thing to do. All of the sudden, I had no income and quickly realized that my bills were not going to stop. While I was interviewing, crisis hit the world.
COVID-19
Because of this virus, my job search became 10x harder. Once the "stay at home" orders came into place, I pretty much had no chance at finding anyone who was hiring. So I decided to pray about it. I prayed and cried for God to open up some opportunity for me. Whatever it was, I would take it... and it worked.
My faith has gotten so much stronger the past two weeks because when I was on the verge of giving up hope, I got a call from the CEO of a PR firm in Dallas who needed a manager to help with the growing client base. Not only did this call come at the perfect time but it was in the industry I wanted to be in and with genuine people who care about the team and the clients.
I have been at this firm for two weeks now and am still so beyond grateful that this opportunity came when it did.
Three years ago my priorities were moving to California and working in the entertainment industry. Now, I can happily say that my priorities have changed for the better.
My main goals now are:
- Working on my faith
- Being with family
- Connecting with friends/boyfriend
- Living a healthy lifestyle
- Loving myself no matter what
I have grown immensely since college and am excited to start living a life with true meaning and accomplishments. Because if you can't love what you do every day, what's all of this for?
Thriving,
Saraliz
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