Senior Amy Salazar had seen what Prosek Partners had to offer through events like the Career Fair and presentations in class. However, it wasn’t until she was selected to attend “Stags Day” that she saw what opportunities public relations firms had for her post-graduation.
“Prosek Partners has a great company culture,” Salazar said. “The program they offer recent Fairfield grads is not only a great learning experience, but it’s very hands-on which gives you an opportunity to enhance your portfolio.”
Salazar was one of 10 Fairfield students having a firsthand look about what firms like Prosek do nationally and internationally, as well as experiencing a day in the life of PR professionals at Prosek.
“[Prosek] touched a lot upon reading different news outlets,” she said. “Then working on ways to fit your client into upcoming stories or pitching the media with a story idea to plug your client into.”
Located in Fairfield, New York City and London, Prosek does “everything from developing the messaging and visual brand identity of a company through to securing coverage of their people and products in the top-tier and trade media,” according to Managing Director Caroline Gibson.
The firm, which has existed for about 20 years, differentiates themselves from other PR firms through their idea of “unboxed communications.” This idea of thinking outside the box has earned them several recognitions such as the number one PR firm for the Hedge Fund Industry, the New York Observer’s Top 20 PR Firm Power List in 2014 and, for the sixth consecutive year, they were named to be the fastest growing company by Inc. 5000.
As part of the recruiting effort, Prosek Partners also organized “Bobcats Day” for Quinnipiac University in a similar style to “Stags Day.”
For current students and Fairfield alumni, Prosek has provided internships and jobs for those interested in pursuing a career in PR.
“Since 2010, nine interns – about two per year – that we’ve brought into our Connecticut [office] have been from Fairfield University,” stated Gibson. “With four alumni on our full-time staff, there’s a wonderful network of Stags throughout both our Connecticut and New York City offices.”
During the session, students also learned more about Prosek’s newest initiative, a PR development program.
A paid four-month long program, it is “specifically designed for postgraduates to get their foot in the door at Prosek,” according to Gibson.
“It’s also a fantastic way to get noticed by our hiring managers,” she stated. “This program is designed to train the next wave of PR professionals and as such is a very important hiring conduit for the firm.”
Salazar, who has had three internships in the field, found “Stags Day” a beneficial networking opportunity.
“It was nice to get a one-on-one with PR professionals and ask them questions about the industry,” Salazar said.
Gibson agreed, stating that the networking session was “great to meet the students on a personal level to hear about their experiences and answer their questions.”
When asked what advice is most important for students aspiring for a job in PR, Gibson stated, “Get experience early. The competition in PR is intense.”
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