{"id":13724,"date":"2025-10-15T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=13724"},"modified":"2025-10-14T15:54:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T19:54:11","slug":"relationship-building-can-be-gen-zs-pr-superpower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/relationship-building-can-be-gen-zs-pr-superpower\/","title":{"rendered":"Relationship-Building Can Be Gen Z\u2019s PR Superpower"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When I first heard the word \u201cnetworking,\u201d I pictured stiff handshakes, awkward small talk and people in suits swapping business cards. I thought networking was something for seasoned professionals, not for someone like me who was just starting out. I\u2019d heard the term a million times, but what did it actually mean? More importantly, how do I know if I\u2019m doing it right?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the surprising truth: It\u2019s not as scary or unfamiliar as it sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turns out networking is a lot like the skills our generation has been building for years on social media: reading, starting conversations and building relationships.<\/strong> We\u2019ve spent years scrolling through feeds, spotting something interesting and taking the next step to comment, share or message the author. During my internship, I realized those same habits translated directly into working with reporters, executives and teammates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was a public relations intern, my manager introduced me to a strategy called \u201cread and react.\u201d In PR, you\u2019re often pitching stories to journalists, hoping for a response, but this approach focuses on building the relationship first. It means reading the journalists\u2019 work, engaging with it and showing genuine appreciation. Over time, that familiarity makes your name recognizable and your pitches stronger. For me, it was one of my first real glimpses of networking in PR: making a connection, building trust and keeping the relationship alive so opportunities follow naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sound familiar? It\u2019s basically what we do every day on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Whether it\u2019s following people, commenting on posts or starting conversations, it all involves building relationships. For me, emailing a journalist felt like leaving a genuine comment on a friend\u2019s photo. Reaching out to a teammate for career advice was like sending a friend request to a friend of a friend. Connecting with an executive on LinkedIn felt like following a creator you admire on Instagram. The format is different, but the intention \u2014 connecting, engaging and making an impact \u2014 is exactly the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I started approaching networking the way I approach connecting online, it no longer felt intimidating. Coffee chats with team members, reaching out to executives, complimenting journalists\u2019 work \u2014 it\u2019s just another way to engage and build relationships, something I\u2019d been practicing since the day I got my first phone. And, just like with social media, the more you engage authentically, the stronger and more natural connections become. It\u2019s important to remember networking isn\u2019t just a one-time exchange \u2014 it\u2019s an ongoing conversation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To my fellow Gen Zers: Turns out we\u2019ve been networking all along. The platforms may change, but the skills are the same. The confidence to introduce yourself, the curiosity to learn about someone\u2019s work, and the effort to keep the connection alive \u2014 it\u2019s all second nature to us. We\u2019ve just been practicing in Instagram DMs, group chats and comment sections instead of in conference rooms and team meetings. Now, it\u2019s simply about taking those same instincts into new spaces and discovering the opportunities they create, trusting that you already have what it takes to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Melanie Cammarano is a junior at Loyola University Chicago, pursuing a bachelor\u2019s degree in Advertising and Public Relations, with a minor in Spanish. She most recently spent the summer as a Public Relations Intern at Sentry Insurance, developing her professional skills and gaining hands-on industry experience. She\u2019s a proud<\/em> morning person and loves long walks outdoors with her favorite playlist. Connect with her on LinkedIn<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Once I started approaching networking the way I approach connecting online, it no longer felt intimidating. Coffee chats with team members, reaching out to executives, complimenting journalists\u2019 work \u2014 it\u2019s just another way to engage and build relationships, something I\u2019d been practicing since the day I got my first phone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":13725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3852,3776],"tags":[2583,75,2814,15,3853,2224,1501],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13724"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13724"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13727,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13724\/revisions\/13727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}