Okay, so WTF you gonna do after you finish?

Wow, I’m surprised to be the first to comment. That puts me under a lot of pressure, the same pressure you talked about it your post, to say something intelligent and meaningful…I’ll try, but I’m not promising anything. I really enjoyed your post. Mainly because it was targeted right at me, a student in Robert’s class. Also, I happen to be one of those relentless worriers, so I’ve been especially scared to step out of Robert’s protective wing and really get my feet wet with blogging. For one, I’m scarred it will come back to haunt me. What if I’m searching for a job, and they google me and come across some silly blog that I posted my first few weeks of school. Suddenly, I go from being a knowledgeable candidate for the job to the office joke. What if I forget a comma or misspell a word? I’ll be labeled forever as the girl who is grammatically challenged.

So, as you can see I have a lot of fears about stepping outside of the “comfort zone.” But, you’re right, it must be done! So what if a blog keeps me from a job or two. Hopefully, it would never come to that, but if it did I’m sure I would learn some valuable lesson from the experience. I think at the end of the day, most of us who are students in Robert’s class fear that maybe we just aren’t smart enough for this stuff. Sure, he’s had students that have gone on to do great things, but what if we just simply don’t have what it takes. What if no matter how hard we try, we’re still not good enough. I think it’s easy to fail when you know you aren’t trying your hardest, but to fail when you know you are, that’s the most heartbreaking.

I know, I know. Despite all of these fears, we all just have to go out and do it. If we don’t, we’ll never know. And if we fail, then maybe we just aren’t meant to be in this field!

Thanks for the advice. I’ll try my best to follow it.

Thanks for the encouragement!! And, all hail to Robert!!!
I have learned things in his class that I thought I would never understand, which is what education is supposed to be about. But I think I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to this because I’m not afraid of what people think about what I say and I usually just say it. Now, that has bitten me before and I’m sure it will again but that’s how I learn and grow.
Most students at Auburn live in a bubble their entire 4 years and are amazed at how different things are when they enter the “real world”
Robert’s class is overwhelming but it has given me the confidence to enter a world I never would have ventured into before.
Thanks!

I feel like everyone I know is asking me that same question. Maybe not with the “wtf” but that question has been proposed many many times in the last month. Robert is doing a great job of preparing us for what we are going to be doing when we graduate. I have never been a computer person before, but after this class, I feel like I can doing anything I set my mind to. Even if it means falling flat on my face first before I learn from my mistakes.
Lauren is right, there are a lot of us who sometimes feel like we aren’t smart enough to join in on some of the “comment conversations” that go on here in marcom, but we still learn from them. I sit back and observe what is going on and then when I feel ready and knowledgeable about the topic, I will join in and hopefully say something that makes sense.
This class, and his other, are overwhelming, but when this semester is over I know I will look back and know that I learned something I will actually be able to use in the “real world”. (unlike trigonometry!)

Wow! Thank you! I have heard that question for quite some time now. What am I going to do with my life? I hear it from friends, schoolmates, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, hair dresser. It is a question I have asked myself time and time again. What am I going to do with my life? Where do I want to go in life? What do I want to accomplish? I am not seeking a life based off salary. I simply want to do something I love. And I want to be happy and really good at it. I chose this field for its endless opportunities it holds in the real world. I can take all this knowledge and resources I’ve been so blessed to receive, and apply it to almost anything. I have chosen a field that will surround me with people, that is new and ever-changing and exciting.

You are right. Mr. French should win some award for most passionate teacher/pr practitioner out there. He truly does love what he does (and if he doesn’t, he hides very well!). I want to take what he has spent time and money on and apply it. I want to become good in hopes that it will lead me to a good job one day.

Time is flying by. Luckily, I have one more year left to try and figure out what I’m going to do. In the meantime, I hope to practice, study, learn, research all I can because life is scary and I want to be prepared.

I was a little shocked after reading this post, but it’s great advice. I’ll admit I’ve definitely been one of the students in Robert’s class that has been too afraid to join in conversations. My biggest fear, especially at first, was writing something stupid. It’s scary to think that something you posted will be available online forever.

After interviewing for internships, I’m beginning to realize how important all of this knowledge is for the real world. In a couple of my interviews, I’ve mentioned what I’m currently learning and they are impressed that I even have knowledge of these new communication tools. I’ve also realized that many of these companies are looking for PR graduates that have superior writing skills. It makes me begin to appreciate everything I have learned in this class thus far and in past PR classes. Thanks again for the encouragement, I know I need it!

Everyone has already said everything I would like to from Robert winning an award to their fears of entering the ring with the “big dogs.� I often sit on the sidelines when it comes to commenting and entering into conversations with other bloggers too. On my personal blog, I post stories that appeal to me and was floored once when I had someone find my blog and comment on it. To top it off, the comment was positive!!

It really does feel good to try something and see forward progress made. I hope to gain more and more confidence in this area as the semester winds down. Who knows, I might even continue blogging after I leave Robert’s class.

I wake up every morning and ask myself WTF am I going to do in a few short months when I don’t have the nice comfort of classes to take up my day? It all boils down to moving ahead. A year ago, I had not had Robert as a professor and knew nothing about any of the software programs, blogs, wiki’s, etc. If I can continue to progress as much as I have in the past year, I have no worries that I chose the right path to travel down. I think my plan will entail commenting and making posts until I make someone so upset that I have to form an alias to go under and never move from behind my computer screen…just kidding…I think. Robert is passionate about what he does and it shows. He knows a lot more than he leads on (at least in class) and since this all seems so new, we all learn together. I can’t wait to see what classes under him will be doing in the next few years…….Goes to work on Robert’s final project which takes up all of my life….

In joining the mass crowd, I too think Robert deserves several awards for his hard work and dedication in teaching. You couldn’t ask for a better networking contact (or source for pretty much any information ever), I look forward to keeping in contact with Robert in the future to enhance my technological skills of the latest out there.

I can’t wait to bust out Robert’s final project during an interview and reference my blogging/writing skills. Maybe that will then answer my WTF and I’ll get offered a job.

It’s hard to put yourself out there and take credit for words said, good or bad. But I guess it’s like John Michael Montgomery once sang, “Don’t worry about what you don’t know, life’s a dance, you learn as you go.”

WTF am I going to do? With only a few weeks of classes left for myself, I will enter into my internship. I have one landed, but I interviewed for a much better one Friday. I hope to hear back from them soon. From my perspective it has been valuable to list off all of the experiences I have had at Auburn University. The projects I’ve participated in, the classwork and materials I’ve learned, and the programs really have set me apart in the interview process. But as far as blogging and practitioners conversations, I’m not sure how much my PR World will use it. In my interview Friday, I asked several people how much online work were they using. Most said hardly any because of the generation gap between the target audiences. I asked about blogs and social media. They knew what I was talking about, but it wasn’t something they thought would even benefit their companies.

So my point from all of this is… maybe this social media and blogging world is only for certain companies. Do you think it applies to all of them? Do you think every company in the world could benefit from CEO’s blogging?

With all of the knowledge I will take with me from my university, some of it will be so helpful. And I do realize some will never be used.

As a senior in Robert’s class, I am constantly asking myself what I am doing with my life…at least what I am doing in the upcoming months. With internship opportunities and the real world a month or two ahead, it is hard to believe that I will be leaving the comfort of my class schedule I have gotten so used to. Your post could not have been more timely or helpful. Your thoughts on risks really stood out to me when you said, “Life is about taking risks, failing, falling flat on your face, picking yourself up out of the dust and brushing it off and trying again.”

One thing I realize that holds me back is my fear of making mistakes. I have seen this as I have begun “future planning.” I am afraid to move to an unknown city and then not like it or start a job where I cannot complete the tasks with the same familiarity and success I have in school. Similarly, in the beginning of the semester I was afraid to blog for fear of making mistakes. However as the months have progressed, I have become much more comfortable blogging and am amazed at the skills I am learning in Robert’s class. It is nice to know that we have the support of professionals such as yourselves who direct us and applaud our attempts to break into this world of blogging. Although risks can be scary, they are worth taking despite the fears of making mistakes along the way. Thank you for your advice!

For me and many others in our class, graduation is only 4 weeks away…31 days away, to be exact. The deadlines are overwhelming. And knowing that other students already have jobs lined up is even more overwhelming. I have learned more and worked harder this semester as I’ve taken nine hours of classes and completed an internship, than any other time in my life. The most important thing I’ve learned though, is exactly how few minutes are in an hour and how few hours are in a day. Scheduling meetings, interviews, study time and all of the social requirements that come with college has taught me that time is precious, organization is necessary, and that I cannot live without my calendar by my side.

No- I still don’t know WTF I’m going to do with this education (and of course the knowledge that Robert has instilled), but I do know that this is definitely the area of work for me. I love that there are always new people to meet, the job’s always changing, each project is different, and the adrenaline rush that comes along with these crazy deadlines. Sometimes I don’t think I’ll make it, but there is nothing more satisfactory than seeing a project you’ve worked on for weeks or months come together. When you knew you wouldn’t finish it, you spent sleepless nights slaving over it, you went to bed and had nightmares about it, and then you finish it–and finish it well, there is nothing better.

Nope. I don’t know where I’ll be three months from now. But I do know that I have the opportunity to find a career that not only pays the bills, but that I love and enjoy. I know it’s going to come together..and having faith that the pieces will come together is a huge risk in itself.

WOW! I am delighted and amazed at the responses to this post — well done, everyone!

Yes, it was a deliberate ploy on my part to use a headline that grabbed your attention and a question you felt compelled to answer.

And I’m also delighted because I’ve noticed some of you starting ‘playing with the big dogs’ and leaving comments on their blogs.

I would LOVE to one day get over there, to have lunch or dinner with you all, and tell you just how much it means to ME, an old crusty from the other side of the world, that a group of new entrants into the world of business already ‘get it’, have passion, commitment, drive and enthusiasm.

In the interim, may God bless you, keep you safe and help you deal with the ‘rush’ of exams, reports, essays, presentations and ’stuff’ that happens as you inexorably wind your way to the end of the safety rope.

So in an answer to the six option, what am I going to do with all this knowledge Robert has instilled in us? I’m going to take it with me to NYC next month and use it when I need it. I don’t have any idea what I will need or use, but I feel like I am more prepared than many of my other peers entering into this field.

I will be able to walk away from this class a little exhausted, but with a digital resume. I will also have html knowledge and PrBlogs to show anyone.

Ignore it is definitely not an option. I have learned more useful information in this one class during this semester than in the first two years of core classes I took at Auburn.

I along with many of my peers do not know my future beyond May 10. It is a VERY scary thought. I am very grateful to Robert and to all of my professors here at Auburn University. I am still not convinced that social media will change the world, and to quote Stephanie.. “So my point from all of this is… maybe this social media and blogging world is only for certain companies. Do you think it applies to all of them? Do you think every company in the world could benefit from CEO’s blogging?” And I completely agree… that was all on a side note..

I love what I am able to produce now, and I don’t have a doubt in my mind that I will eventually get a great job that I will be happy with.

I’ve been very interested to see in my internship interviews so far the enthusiasm that many of the firms have shown for my experience in the blogging world. Not that I am a pro by any means, but these firms seem to respect that I am giving it a shot. In fact, one firm told me that they chose to interview me specifically because of the training I am getting in social media. Yes, it is scary that I could be working at a firm that would want me to translate my blogging practices into my actual internship or career. However, I feel like it would be such a waste to not use my blogging know-how in the future. As I say in probably every interview that I go to, if nothing else, blogging has kept me writing daily. But I’m interested to see how else I can use blogging in my career, and I hope that I will be offered that opportunity. I don’t think that blogging is going away anytime soon, so I might as well embrace it.

This is a very interesting movie with unbelievable percentages. I don’t know what to think about it because I am not the best at hands on, new technology. It is very true and unbelievable how fast technology is improving and the myspace stastic was very interesting.
We are a part of a very significant time period in our country in regards to technology where we are watching changes happen and learning as we go. I am glad these changes are taking place while I am in college so that I can learn new technological advances from my courses. Hopefully I can keep up with these advancements because I know they are very important in the P.R. world.

“Check your fears at the door” seems to be a repetitive message I’ve received this semester. I don’t think it will ever get old though. Life demands fearlessness to accomplish great things- or, at least, the ability to conquer our fears long enough to take the plunge and just do it.

Standing on the threshold of graduation, I can’t help but feel anxious about what’s to come; but I’m also very excited and enthusiastic, and still a bit idealistic. It helps to have wiser folks, like you Lee, be brutally honest with us. So, thanks! Motivation is always welcome!

Thank you for this post. I will admit, there are parts of social media I would like to avoid. I will admit that I am scared of it to an extent. I feel like I don’t really have anything that worthwhile to say, but I know i’m wrong. Robert tells you that the first rule of style & design is no crying in lab…I make no promises. Honestly, one of my biggest fears is making a really stupid mistake, publicly. My problem with social media is that it is something I find very challenging. I know, I’m graduating college soon, I should be able to handle a challenge, and I can, but this intimidates me. I can’t sit down, study, and learn it. We’ll see how this final project thing goes!

And Sara, you will be surprised to find that once you take the first step and the sky *hasn’t* fallen on you that it becomes easier and easier.

Learning something new, especially where you open yourself to potential ridicule, IS hard. True. Learning how to write an academic paper, learning how to navigate Word, learning how to present your ideas in PowerPoint without boring the *** off your audience — all take time and repeated effort and, one hopes, a bit of research and reading of those who are good at it.

Social Media isn’t for everyone — only about 10% of any population group will ever be ‘producers’ of content — but as a PR fledgling from within a ‘Yoof’ demographic you will absolutely be expected to know something about it, even if it is just who to ask for advice and help.

Luckily for you, you have every single contributor, past student, current student and Sir Robert du French encouraging you from the wings, shouting praise and EAGER to hold your hand and let you see how painless the first few steps can really be.

A bit like God said, we won’t step in and help you without your permission. Just ask.

As the semester comes to a close, I am feeling more and more confident in my PR opinions and ability. I still get nervous every time I click the “publish” button on my blog or a press release, but I don’t expect that will change as long as there is a chance of failure. Robert frequently reminds us that people in the “biz” look very highly on our PR program. That, I think, is what will give me the reassurance and confidence to enter a career in a semester or two. Hopefully that confidence will last and I will be able to proactively supplement any team.

For me, the semester with Robert has flown by. Although the tips and lessons that he has provided have been helpful, I still remain a little confused about the new world of PR and all it has to offer. I guess since I’ve had so many issues to take place this semester, I haven’t honestly allowed all of his tips to absorb. I often find myself a little frustrated with some of the programs that we’re learning about. None the less, I accept it and plain to utilize it in the near future. Maybe it will be incorporated into my law school career. However, for now, I’m just going to grit my teeth and bare it.