How PRSSA Helps You Practice Leadership⸺Not Just Talk About It
Everyone knows your first year of college is for making mistakes, discovering what your campus has to offer and figuring out what you want to do with your four years but, sooner or later, you’ll start hearing whispers of this secret, highly-marketable trait that serves as a prerequisite for many jobs and positions: leadership skills.
‘But I’m attending my classes, learning about my subject of interest and getting decent grades, isn’t that enough?’ you might ask.
Although that’s a great first step, what many employers nowadays will tell you is that they want a candidate that has put themselves out there and showcased leadership in some shape or form⸺whether it be holding a board position for a club, being an editor at your college newspaper or taking on a managerial role in student government.
There are a lot of ways you can gain leadership experience, however, for public relations and communication/media studies majors out there, PRSSA happens to be one of the best organizations for procuring those vital leadership skills. I would know, I’ve experienced it firsthand!
Here are some ways that PRSSA helps you to practice leadership, not just talk about it.
Hands-on Experience Running a Chapter
PRSSA Chapters are student-led, which means students are behind meeting organization, event planning, budget management and recruitment. Plus, unlike many other clubs, PRSSA connects you to a larger society with real-world professional connections and resources. It’s a win-win!
This hands-on experience allows you to step out of the day-to-day of class attendance and take charge in a managerial role surrounded by Chapter members from varying levels of experience.
Serving on a board allows you to navigate the highs-and-lows of management, giving you applicable skills that employers will recognize.
When I was selected by my PRSSA Chapter to serve as Digital Director, I had only been a PRSSA member for a semester. I didn’t know the full scope of what I was getting myself into, but I was forced to learn the ropes quickly⸺an experience that I believe prepared me better than had I kept observing from the outside.
Mentorship and Peer Leadership
Thanks to the close-knit nature of the society, PRSSA fosters mentorship between upperclassmen and new members, as well as members to professionals. Whether you’re a general member or serving on the board, you’re exposed to various types of leadership and have the ability to be mentored at any step of the way.
By taking on a leadership role within PRSSA, you also take initiative to guide others and develop empathetic leadership⸺a crucial trait in the PR world. As you learn to guide your peers, you understand your audience better, and develop interpersonal skills that will benefit you later in your career.
I believe the best way to learn is to teach and by putting yourself in a position where you need to mentor newcomers, guide your team and solve problems, you’re inevitably setting yourself up for success.
If you want to hear from a seasoned PR pundit, easy-to-access resources like the PRSA Mentor Connect program can connect you with PR professionals who can help shape your perspective on leadership and give applicable knowledge from a mentor perspective.
International and Regional Leadership Opportunities
PRSSA offers numerous opportunities to help you elevate your brand, network with other PR enthusiasts and attend life-changing conferences.
On a larger scale, PRSSA members have the ability to run for positions on the International Committee⸺an experience that will teach you about leadership within a broader context.
Although ICON 2025 has passed us by, students can still look forward to the spring 2026 Leadership Assembly, next year’s International Conference and the Bateman Case Study Competition. High-profile events and competitions within PRSSA provide a great foundation for building relationships within the society and can connect you to peers who share your same interests.
Regionally, PRSSA Chapters can gain experience in event planning by hosting a District Conference in the spring, allowing for networking with peers and professionals. Speaking of networking⸺PRSA also frequently offers networking events and mixers to encourage you to build relationships outside of your Chapter.
Accountability and Collaboration
Leadership means taking ownership of outcomes⸺good or bad. In PRSSA, this rings true as you learn to reflect, improve and handle feedback which helps build your resilience and credibility as a leader.
Learning how to react to things is like building muscle, you need to stay consistent, fix your stance and strive to do better. By taking advantage of the leadership opportunities that PRSSA provides, you get to improve by putting yourself in uncomfortable situations⸺and then coming out stronger.
Luckily, you have your Chapter on your side, so you aren’t alone in the learning process. PRSSA thrives on teamwork and, because of this, you can practice collaborative leadership where you can learn to influence without authority, motivate peers and build consensus.
Conclusion
Overall, PRSSA offers a unique opportunity to build connections, grow your knowledge and refine leadership skills all under the umbrella of college life and communication studies. While you may hear others talking about leadership, PRSSA gives you real resources to practice it⸺and walk away with applicable experiences that will follow you into your career.
Delaney Joyce is a senior at California State University, Sacramento, studying public relations and communication studies. She currently serves on the Publications Subcommittee and as the Editor-in-Chief of her college’s student newspaper, The State Hornet. With a deep passion for storytelling, Delaney hopes to build her writing and media skills to uplift her community. In her free time she enjoys photographing local bands, playing video games and journaling.
