Yesterday Sira left a comment on my last blog asking me some great questions. As I began drafting my response to her, I decided it would actually make a wonderful post.

What made you decide to pursue a graduate program? I’m still in undergrad, but my professors don’t really stress the importance of grad degrees in the PR field, since experience is the big money maker. I was just curious as to what you studied in grad school, and what made you decide to do it?

Thank you for your question, Sira. I think this addresses an issue that many public relations students will have to face.

Experience vs. Education

I definitely grappled with the idea of whether or not pursing a graduate education was worth it.  I am in no means an authority or expert, but after talking to multiple professors and having to make my own decision, I believe it will ultimately depend on what your career goals are.

My undergrad public relations program at the University of South Carolina was comprehensive with classes in public relations campaigns, management and writing, as well as research, law and ethics and graphic design.  Housed in the journalism school, public relations students at USC undoubtedly left as better writers and thinkers.

Programs that give their students this foundation –  along with the addition of real world experience through internships  — are definitely enough to prepare you for an entry-level position.  However, it is always important to note that there are things that simply can’t be taught through a textbook because as I’ve learned clients will not always have “textbook problems” for you to solve.

I received a job offer just before my graduation from undergrad.  However, it was not a position I saw myself being happy with or allowing me to grow.  I’m sure that someone (perhaps even the person who accepted the job) was able to see it as a starting point in which they could develop in, but I could not. I believed that I could become more marketable to future employees with a broader skill set and give myself more options for my career path by pursuing a graduate degree.

I began looking at integrated marketing communications (IMC) programs because I thought this program paired with my public relations background would make me a more valuable communications professional. Textbooks emphasize how IMC utilizes advertising, account management, account planning, public relations, marketing research, brand management, and interactive marketing to create cohesive, consistent, and comprehensive messages to target audiences (or something to that effect – I haven’t had to write that definition since my foundations course in fall 2011).

What I gained from the program was knowledge and experience of the strategic planning side of communications. I once saw myself at a firm churning out press releases and great communication pieces for my amazing clients (still something I would love to do). After exposure to brand management, consumer behavior and market research through my coursework, my “communication vocabulary” if you will, tripled in size. My interest in the strategic planning side of client management and communication was sparked and I now have the knowledge and skills to execute these types of jobs. I can now see myself overseeing strategic communications or being the director of integrated marketing departments. Many agencies are looking for someone who can oversee or even launch their IMC departments.

The real proof is in the number of companies that asked me to come and interview.  I looked at a variety of communication jobs and between public relations and IMC and I was able to qualify for many of them.  There was still that emphasis on experience, but I found that my education was one of the main factors that set me apart from others who were applying. This won’t be the case every time, but several potential employers let me know that my education is what got me seriously considered.

I suggest thinking about your career goals, talking to professors or mentors and researching programs before making a decision.  There’s always the possibility of going back to school, but so many people told me that the further you settle in to work life the harder it is to go back to school. Again, this all varies person to person.

Good luck with everything. I’m happy to answer any other questions you may have.