While I am not a PR major, there was so much I took away from our visits in Dublin that still apply to my future career as a Media Studies and Production major. The career advice regarding CSR and Sustainability from the business professionals we spoke to can broadly apply to any career path, especially within the realm of communications. One prime example of this was each business’ commitment to working with clients that align with their values and goals. This was especially prominent at Thinkhouse, where they made it clear that they have refused clients in the past for not aligning with the firm’s values regarding CSR and Sustainability.
Additionally, it surprised me how much of what Thinkhouse did related to Media Studies and Production. They noted that they have a full team of producers, editors, directors, and other production staff to create the content they produce, such as the commercial for the youth art showcase they were promoting. This particular visit made me realize how much PR is intertwined with other fields of communication, and how the different fields interact with each other to complete the goals of a particular company. It made me realize that I may end up working for a company like Thinkhouse in the future, just on the production side of things rather than the PR side.
Another thing I took away from our visit was each company’s commitment to ethics as it relates to CSR. Each company’s commitment to being fully authentic and transparent, especially Allied Irish Bank, really resonated with me. I work for Temple Update, Temple’s student-run news broadcast, and a huge point of emphasis for news professionals is making sure you are reporting in a responsible way and that your messaging is precise and correct. This same sentiment was shared by almost every business we visited, including Alice PR, who emphasized their relationship with journalists, media professionals, and influencers as a huge part of what they do.
The talks with professionals on this trip made me realize how lessons in CSR and Sustainability apply to all career paths, businesses, and individuals. As Paul Kelly said at AIB, there is a theory that there is someone alive today who will meet the last person to ever live on earth, a sobering thought that we have to make sure does not happen. With that thought, it is important for all aspiring professionals to learn about CSR and Sustainability, and I’m grateful that I was able to learn about it first-hand on this amazing trip to Dublin.