PRSSA Kent welcomed Chris Sledzik from Marcus Thomas, LLC at our meeting Wednesday evening.

Chris encouraged young pros to reach out to industry professionals.

"In the PR profession, there are more people who are willing to help young people than not," Chris said. "Relationships are the backbone of success."

He offered two tips to students on how to succeed:

• Ask smart questions
• Be interested

How do you show interest? Get involved! Kent State University has plenty of opportunities for PR majors and minors. Apply at Flash Communications; join a PRSSA committee; run for an officer position in PRSSA; and utilize the JMC internship board!

Chris enrolled in the Kent State PR graduate program in 2007 after graduating from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a Bachelor’s in Technical Communication. As he pursued his Master’s in PR, Sledzik spent the better part of three years in what he calls “post-grad limbo,” completing several internships, fielding free-lance work and networking in the Northeast Ohio PR & Marketing community. He’s held full-time positions on both the corporate and agency sides of the business managing tasks that run the gamut of a PR professional including media relations, internal and corporate communications, social media community management, event planning and more. He’s currently employed at the integrated marketing agency Marcus Thomas LLC in Cleveland and prides himself in a work-life-balance that not all young PR professionals are able to attain. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter @csledzik.

Evan Bailey, operations manager of The Tannery and assistant professor in the Public Relations sequence at Kent State University, spoke to a packed PRSSA Kent meeting Wednesday evening.

Music in the PR industry was the night's topic. Bailey works with entertainment companies to create promotional materials for the concert industry.

Bailey gave students insight on working within the field.

"If you don't like checking your email every two minutes, don't go into the PR music and entertainment industry," Bailey warned.

Bailey clued students in on how the industry works.

"PR professionals must work closely with management and record labels."

The next PRSSA Kent meeting is October 24, with Chris Sledzik from Marcus Thomas LLC speaking about becoming a young PR pro.

Rodger Roeser, president of Cincinnati’s The Eisen Agency, spoke to a packed PRSSA Kent meeting Wednesday evening.

Roeser emphasized students should love what they do and be fully prepared for the job market upon graduation.

Roeser offered plenty of tips for students searching for a job or internship:

· Start a blog (Try Wordpress)
· Create business cards
· Tailor resume to each opportunity
· Create a LinkedIn account (So professionals can find     you easily)
· Start an online portfolio (Try Weebly or Wix)
· Dress appropriately for interviews
· Networking: Roger emphasized building relationships with professionals in the industry.

“What makes you want to get up in the morning?” Roeser asked. “Figure out what it is that you want to be and go after it.”

A Kent State graduate, Roeser is fiercely proud of his alma mater and the public relations program. 

“Anybody who says that public relations takes a second seat to anything is lying to you,” he said.

The next PRSSA Kent meeting is October 17, with Professor Evan Bailey speaking about PR in the music industry.