Summary+Response+Paper

Summary

After interviewing Marian Gerlich and Bill Withers about their careers in the field of Public Relations and communications, the most outstanding impression that I took away from the experience is that there is always room for improvement. I love how Marian and Bill both stressed the importance of growth in their careers. Neither started at a low level to stay there and as a result of their diligence and anxiousness for opportunities for more responsibility, they succeeded. Through experience and dedication, Marian opened her own firm in 1990 and Bill has been in his current position for 11 years. They are both happy and although they made or are making personal sacrifices, they are also in positions of power that allow them to have more control over their home life including spending more time with their families. Also, Marian always knew she loved words and wanted to work with them but had considered becoming an English teacher. She found that her real talent could be well utilized in the PR world and now, is responsible for managing exposure to media for food companies, oil companies, and even hotels and resorts. Bill, on the other hand, almost came upon his talent by accident when he assisted in some successful political campaigns that gave him his first experiences in PR. Now, as director of communications, he teaches college students at Wartburg to be the newest members for the cause of positive public perception. Finally, by staying reading and attending conferences, Marian and Bill stay ahead of the curve in new findings in the world of PR and communications. I find this especially important because, in order for forward motion to occur in our society, forward thinking has to occur and they both recognize that. To close, whether it is purely promotional or damage control, the point of Marian and Bill’s career field is to shed positive light on any situation and every one of their successes or even failures proves that there is always room for improvement…and PR can get you there.  Response After reviewing Marian and Bill’s interview responses, I immediately thought of a quote from the T.V. show //Scrubs// that once you look in the mirror and are completely satisfied with what you see, that is when you have lost the fight. I think it would be a fun job to be responsible for the image of something so much bigger than oneself. I do not find the concept scary but I can picture myself becoming bored with having to fix problems rather than purely promote. Marian said there is not as much opportunity in marketing for someone qualified in PR as there is for someone in advertising. Also, I’m more interested in helping those who need help rather than lifting those who are already in a steady position. Marian’s firm seems to have a glamorous aspect because she travels and stays at the hotels and resorts that she represents. Firms, which seem to be more effective than a PR representative on the inside, mostly do promotional work or damage control for companies who can afford to pay for a well-worded appearance. If I do decide to do PR, I would hope to work in favor of help organizations or maybe even some sort of advocacy. I realize we are in a capitalistic country but a lot of this field comes down to some sort of financial standing for businesses. After being in Student Council and doing loads of work without any expectations of a reward, I may have to talk to someone in PR who is involved with organizations that share my interests. Another concept I extracted from Marian and Bill’s interviews is that I should be, not simply happy, but passionate about what I do for a living. Both Marian and Bill clearly love their jobs and seem to have the most manageable lives because, out of five possible contacts, they were the only two who completed the interview. I think it proves that they are extremely organized and good multi-taskers which are qualities they stressed the importance of. Finally, although I found some elements of PR to be unappealing, Marian and Bill shattered my stereotypical idea of adults who sit in a cubicle working a dead-end job that they hate. They express the excitement they feel for their way of helping people and the freedoms they have acquired through gaining power. They are fantastic examples of contributing adults and providing parents who are in control of their lives.