Til death (or PR) do us part

With Thanksgiving Day quickly approaching, I figured it would be more than appropriate to blog about the time demand that the public relations industry puts on its professional. As I sit here on the greyhound bus making my way down to New York City for Thanksgiving break, I can’t help but think of what my life will be when I graduate from this program and enter the world of public relations. Will it be what I expected? Will I be happy? But most importantly, will I have to give up my personal life to be a success?

I didn’t give any of this much thought until now, because I was so excited to be entering a new industry; One where I can exhibit my skills and talents. However, on Thursday night as I got ready for bed, the program I was watching was interrupted for some breaking news: “SU’s assistant basketball Coach Bernie Fine accused of sexual molestation." I was shocked! I quickly jumped online and started reading up on the story. The story broke so late at night that I was actually surprised. Then, I thought, “OMG his PR team must be going crazy!”

That’s when it hit me. I’m studying to be that PR person!

How many Thanksgivings, Christmas’ and ballet recitals will I miss because I’m busy dealing with a PR crisis? How many family functions, nights with the girls, and date nights with my husband will I have to cancel or run out on because of work? This worries me because I don’t only want to be a PR professional. I also want to be a mother, a wife, an aunt, and a friend, but will I miss out on all of that because I’ve chosen such a fast-paced and highly demanding career?

I’m not going to say that I’m not worried about the demands of the career path I’ve chosen, but I can say that being at Newhouse is preparing me to deal with the rigors of the PR lifestyle. I’m learning to balance school work, volunteerism, social activities, and personal time.

Although this career is very demanding on my personal time, so far I really seem to be enjoying it. I'm starting to think that PR may not be my career for my entire life, but I'm interested to see where it will lead me.

I hope you are enjoying the road that you have chosen. Drive safely my friends!