Photo courtesy of David Henne
As the semester slowly comes to an end and you’re finalizing your schedule, you’re probably looking to see if there is anything you can add or change. As a public relations (PR) student, you want to find the top classes you can take that will hone your skills as a professional and push you to create better work. That is why you should consider taking The Swing Agency (PR 120) as one of your classes in the upcoming semesters. Here are a few valuable parts about Swing that you get when you take the class.
Leadership Roles
At the beginning of the semester, students in Swing are informed about the clients that they will be taking on, as well as, what the company hopes to achieve from this partnership. Each client must have an account lead and associate lead who are in charge of creating the weekly deliverables, reaching out to the clients, and ensuring all the other members of the team stay on top of their deliverables for the week. Students are encouraged to volunteer for which role they’d like, but these roles can also be assigned. I encourage everyone to volunteer for a leadership position because it provides the experience of being in charge and making sure your objectives for the clients are met. It is a hard task at times, but it improves your leadership skills and prepares you for what you may experience when you begin working at an outside company.
Photo courtesy of David Henne
Student-Led Class
Unlike most classes, The Swing Agency is entirely a student-led class. This means that the outcome of the course and how objectives are met are up to the hard work the students put in throughout the semester. While there is a professor present; students, especially account leads are in charge of delegating tasks and stating their goals throughout the week at the beginning of each class. Having a class taught this way benefits students because it reiterates the idea– that if they do not put in the work, then nothing gets done. It is a reflection of what occurs within the PR world and how there are times when everyone has their own tasks to get done without being handheld. It gives students more independence and teaches them to make sure they are on top of their work.
Hands-On Tasks
While at The Swing Agency, everyone is assigned certain clients based on the number of clients that we take on during that semester. As mentioned early, there are tasks that need to be completed each week. These tasks can range from activities such as writing pitches and creating graphics for social pages to even reaching out to local organizations to help promote your client. These tasks not only improve your writing skills but also teaches you how to do the work that real PR professionals do on a day-to-day basis.
Photo courtesy of David Henne
Resume Experience
One of the biggest things students should work towards during their college career is gaining experience to put on their resume. When applying for jobs, companies are always looking for new hires that have some experience within their field. While it may be difficult sometimes to find an outside internship, The Swing Agency provides students with a similar internship experience that can be put on their resume. Since students are partaking in activities that they would at a real internship they can include this on their resume to help make them more marketable and show off their skills. Although The Swing Agency is not considered an internship, it is always great to have as much experience as possible because it not only makes you stick out to potential recruiters, but you should always improve yourself as a PR professional.
The Swing Agency has a lot to offer and it is definitely one of the resources that Hofstra provides that should be taken advantage of. In the PR world, it is important to grow and sharpen your skills, and by being a part of The Swing you will always learn something new.