District Conference Preview: PR Beyond Zoom: Expanding Your Professional Network (University of Georgia & Kennesaw State University 2023)

Join the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University’s PRSSA Chapters as we host the 2023 Southeast District Conference, “PR Beyond Zoom: Expanding Your Professional Network,” on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. 

The theme for this year’s conference focuses on networking, the most crucial skill in today’s job market. Forming and maintaining relationships with professionals in the industry is often key to landing a job, but the concept of networking can be difficult to put into practice effectively. Because the COVID-19 pandemic shut down in-person events and moved students’ lives online, many have not yet had ample opportunities to get into the groove of networking. In this conference, our Chapters want to give students the space to learn how to network and build meaningful connections as we navigate this new hybrid workforce. 

Attendees can expect to learn tips for both in-person and remote networking, gain advice on how to improve their LinkedIn profiles, talk to public relations professionals, and learn to leverage their connections. Additionally, guest speakers from the public relations industry will provide insight from their own experiences.

The conference will be virtual with all sessions taking place on Zoom. Our Chapters chose Zoom to reflect the theme of hybrid networking and to give students from across the globe the opportunity to attend.

Personally, I’m most excited about our LinkedIn workshop titled “How to Use LinkedIn to Your Advantage.” I believe this will be very helpful for students to learn how to master the most prominent online networking platform in today’s digital age. Members should make sure to tune in to this session to grasp how to develop their profile to stand out to employers for both internship and job opportunities.

Besides our LinkedIn workshop, other sessions include “How to Build Your Network in a Virtual World,” “Don’t Rely on Spell Check: Strengthen Professional Documents with Brainpower,” “Learning How to Brand Yourself,” and “Build Your Confidence in Face-to-Face Networking.” These sessions will include breakout sessions and Q&A’s that allow attendees to connect with each other and professionals from companies such as Cox Communications and the Georgia Aquarium.

To make the most of the conference experience, attendees are encouraged to be active and engaged, making sure to ask questions and participate to soak in all of the information and advice they can. For more information about our conference and registration, visit our website. You may also email Dolores Trobradovic (dt94807@uga.edu) or Lauren Nye (lnye1@students.kennesaw.edu) for any additional questions. For more information about other PRSSA District Conferences, click here.

Sara Lawrence is a junior majoring in public relations at the University of Georgia. She serves as the director of content for UGA’s PRSSA Chapter, managing their website and the content posted on their blog. Sara is also on the promotions committee for the 2023 Southeast District Conference. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in entertainment or travel public relations. 

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