Alyssa and I paraded down the street, absorbing the sun rays and commotion of the day. We headed toward Café Suisse, a coffee shop I’d known about but never stopped in. The barista whipped up iced mochas, much needed in the heat of the afternoon.
Alyssa Armada spent the past week shadowing our work at The Fearey Group. She will be a sophomore at New Jersey Institute of Technology where she is studying marketing. I applaud her initiative and drive in learning about what career she might want to pursue in the future. Cool fact about Alyssa, she plays D1 volleyball for her school and started in 30 out of 35 games as a freshman! Mochas in hand, we step outside to chat.
Q: Why did you decide to do a job shadow and why in PR?
This is my first shadowing experience and I’m trying to get a taste of what life is like after college. Shadowing was the perfect way to see the PR side of the business world.
Q: What are you majoring in right now? Why did you choose to study it?
I am currently a marketing major with a possible minor in graphic design. I like the creative aspects of business, which is why marketing and PR have been appealing to me.
Q: What have you learned about yourself and your aspirations?
I’ve learned many important things during my short week here at TFG. The most important thing is that PR is something that I can see myself doing in the near future. I also learned that creating personal relationships will give me an edge when competing for entry-level jobs when I graduate. Throughout this past week, I’ve been given opportunities to have “coffee breaks” with fellow colleagues at TFG to discuss my interests as well as their backgrounds. I have learned the different perspectives of the PR world and I have been given good advice to use for the future. More importantly, these sessions have given me the chance to get to know everyone more intimately in a professional setting.
Q: What were you expecting this experience, the agency and PR to be like?
At first, I was scared that I, a nineteen year old, would feel lost in the workplace. I initially thought to myself that everyone at The Fearey Group would be intimidating. I also expected the agency to look like the stereotypical, common and ordinary workplaces that can be found on TV. However, everyone at the office has been overwhelmingly nice and welcoming – and the open workspace is unique and very collaborative. With a range of different ages here, from brides-to-be to recent college graduates, I’ve seen that a little age diversity brings an advantage for TFG and creates a multi-generational workforce.
*Café Spotlight is our new series promoting open discussion of the public relations field while showcasing local cafes around Seattle.