On Thursday evening, we were joined by three professionals for the fourth installment of Living Room Airlines, which highlighted living and working in Denver, Colorado.
The first session kicked off with Robin Zimmerman, who presented on the importance of networking in college and beyond. First, she highlighted her experience in the public relations industry and the career path that led to the creation of her own agency, BirdsEye Public Relations.
Then, Robin dove into her Networking playbook. Step one: define your community. Step two: construct. Begin to create and cultivate long lasting professional relationships. As intimidating as networking may seem, every professional interaction you have can build up to finding a mentor, referral or new job. When working at an agency, networking can be a great way to secure new clients.
For every great connection, there is bound to be a few failures. Robin shared a few mistakes she has made in the past, like not staying in touch with old colleagues and supervisors. This leads to the third step: maintenance. “It really is just about putting in the work.” It can be as small as connecting in Linkedin and commenting on posts or reaching out for coffee or lunch.
Following the networking session with Robin we heard from Cait Shaughnessy, Regional Communications Coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation. Cait answered a variety of questions on a range of topics, from her experience in nonprofit PR to tips for moving to a new city. She also shared advice for working in media relations and recommended developing relationships with reporters that can be beneficial to your client.
Cait also spoke on the drastic difference between agency and nonprofit PR. While she has enjoyed her roles in both settings, she noted how rigorous the agency setting is, and how her current role at NWF really prioritizes self-care, which she appreciates.
Overall, both speakers truly emphasized their love for the city they are currently calling home (but did warn about the sticker shock that comes with renting in Denver after living in Columbus).