How 4 pros crafted their ideal careers in communications and PR

This article was originally published on Handshake Blog.

Seasoned PR pros at Activision Blizzard, Google, and Under Armour share their communications career wisdom.

Did you know there are communications opportunities in literally every industry? Whatever your interests, you can find your niche in comms there. There are comms and PR minds behind every Fashion Week moment, pro sports trade announcement, and viral movie press junket interview, to name only a few of the ways comms careers influence your daily life.

Public relations and communications are perfect paths for somebody who doesn’t want to get bored at work, wants to continually evolve their skills, and has a hunger for staying “in the know” about the conversations unfolding in the press, the web, cultural zeitgeist, and beyond.

We brought together senior-level comms pros with current or previous experience across a variety of industries—including gaming, athletics, tech, entertainment, nonprofit, fashion & apparel, and government—to dig into the nitty gritty around paving a fulfilling career path in the field. The conversation was moderated by Eleanor Hawkins, a communications strategist, writer at Axios, and author of the weekly “Axios Communicators” newsletter, which has quickly become a must-read for PR pros. The panel’s insightful conversation about the ever-changing arena of communications will pump you up about the future of the job, and equip you to jump headfirst into the world of PR!

  • Amanda Miller, Chief Communications Officer at Under Armour, spilled the tea about the difference between working in an agency setting compared to doing in-house comms for a brand
  • Kayla Conti, Head of Black Media Communications at Google, shared advice for building your network, landing internships and navigating the workforce as a woman of color in communications
  • Toya Holness, VP and Communications Business Lead at Activision Blizzard, “myth busted” common misconceptions about the career path, and discussed transferrable skills that’ll help new hires succeed in comms

Whether you’re a future communications grad or simply exploring your options, you’ll learn a ton from the panelists’ insightful responses. Watch the full session below, and be sure to check out our upcoming events for more great career tips.

By Alice Song
Alice Song Career Counselor