By: Victoria Pomo
The first time you do something is always special, besides maybe colonoscopies and jury duty. For most of my life I’ve known I wanted to be a publicist and joining one7 communications has been one of the greatest gifts the universe could have ever given me. In such a short time I have been adopted into our quirky, but lovable small family where everyone has been so welcoming. My PR family has been quintessential in my training, being ever so patient with me to make sure that I’m getting the best knowledge and experience possible, and with them I’ve experienced some “PR firsts” that have all been extra special.
My First Day
My first day at one7 I entered as a shark… literally, it was Halloween and we all dressed up in costume. I was incredibly nervous and excited, this was the day I had been waiting years for and it finally happened. I took my fearsome shark costume attitude to attack the day, and swam head first into agency life.
My First Week
The first week was a whirlwind. Five days of jam-packed learning, including an event, kept me on my toes and showed me what this industry was going to be like. I was like a child who got their first taste of candy, and I was hooked.
My First Client
For my first meeting with a client, I woke up early to get extra ready and took my almost annoying enthusiasm into the meeting. This was the first moment a client looked to me for advice, and guidance on what to do. It made me feel very
powerful as it was the first time I was being recognized as a professional, but also very nervous at the same time.
My First Pitch
Pitching is the backbone of public relations and my first one was for a fashion client of ours. With some help on best practices, I successfully placed our client in the publication – and that was my first earned media as well!
My First Event
My first event was truly the most special first to me. It was the purest manifestation of my weeks of hard work that I could ever see. Looking around at the different moving parts of the event and knowing I helped put it all together put a smile on my face you could see from outer space. After leaving the event I broke down in the happiest tears I’ve ever encountered (because I’m not much of a crier) and it solidified that I made the right choice for my career, and money can not buy that type of secure feeling.
My First Press Release
The most frustrating of my firsts, my first press release. After putting together what I thought was a bangin’ release, I later learned had a plethora of AP mistakes, verbiage that didn’t match the client’s tone of voice, and an overall feeling of my newness that I hadn’t noticed before. It was a humbling experience that I am very thankful for, because I would rather be corrected and learn to become a better writer than to remain stagnant.
My First Holiday Party
One of the most fun of my firsts, our holiday party where we were spoiled all night long with delicious drinks, food, and some pretty hilarious karaoke. This ridiculously fun night consisted of bonding with my new work family and taught me that in PR you work hard AND play hard.
After seven phenomenal firsts with one7, it’s safe to say that I love it here, and I will continue to grow and learn from here on out. Public relations is not for the weak, but if you love what you do you’ll never “work” a day in your life. Sorry to be cliche, but it really is true.
*And yes, this is also my first blog post in case you were wondering! 🙂