As I overlook the past four years of my life, from entering Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a naïve and excited freshman to completing my undergraduate degree, both gratefulness and a sense of unknowing envelop me. If you asked me four years ago what I would be doing after I graduated, I would have told you that I’d be working my way up the totem pole to becoming the lead public relations practitioner for the National Football League. But, as many students learn through internships and real life experience, what one thinks they should become because of the harsh combination of “a hobby” and “a great paycheck” isn’t really all that enjoyable. The reason it isn’t enjoyable? It isn’t their passion.

This is why I am so grateful for the internships that grace my resume and stand firm as a proponent of undergraduates taking on as many internships as possible to truly decipher what their passion is. After attending PRSSA National Conference in fall 2011, I came back feeling both empowered and bewildered. Though I returned with an increased love and knowledge of public relations, I also felt like I didn’t tweet, blog, chat, hashtag, pin, post, read, and comment enough to ever get a job as a PR professional post-graduation. This, my friends, was both a moment of defeat and enlightenment.

Through all of the busyness of college and striving to socialize, work, and intern as much as possible, I forgot what college was all about: finding and securing who you want to be and what you want to do with the rest of your life. I began to realize that amidst the passing time and increasing bullet points on my resume, I had not taken a mere minute to discover and confirm what my passion was and is. The harsh combination of “a hobby” and “a great paycheck” had blinded me from searching within myself for what truly makes me tick.

In February 2011, I was fortunate enough to interview the original designer of the GAP label for an article. After he had asked me a few questions about my young self and what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, he encouraged me personally by sharing that his passion was his career. Waking up in the morning, facing the office, and being on a deadline weren’t tedious to him. Designing wasn’t work; it was enjoyable. That interview will forever resonate in my mind and will most likely be one of the most profound and important conversations of my life.

Through the combination of that interview and gained experience of numerous internships, I have finally determined that what I initially thought was a perfect fit for me no longer is. Though it only took me four years to figure out, I have now secured what I want to pursue in my working career because I have a passion for it.

I now unendingly encourage fellow students and adults, alike, to pursue whatever their passion is. Why? Because it will make you a better professional. In the world of public relations, practitioners need to believe in their product or company and be motivated to increase the success and awareness of the brand. As humans, we were all born with dreams and passions that are meant to be pursued. Whatever your passion is, pursue it and be the best that you can be at it.

If you are striving to be the best PR student or professional out there, then make sure to marry your passion with your career. Don’t pursue that fat paycheck, that extra bullet point on your resume that you think will impress everyone else, that Fortune 500 company that you don’t care a lick about, or that career that was glamorized by shows and films like The Hills or The Devil Wears Prada.

My favorite quote hit me face on when I was sipping out of a Starbucks cup one afternoon. Literally. As quoted by Keith Olbermann, “The Way I See It #17: The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you’re not good enough. On occasion, some may be correct. But do not do their work for them. Seek any job; ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don’t take it personally when they say ‘no’- they may not be smart enough to say ‘yes.’”

So, when you are searching endlessly on Google late at night (when you should be doing homework) to find a summer internship or job, take a minute and give your heart a chance to speak. It may sound corny and cliché, but your future will thank you for it. In order to be the best professional you can be- public relations or not- make sure that you are pursuing your passion, not a paycheck. 

By Natalie Stone