Today we’d like to introduce you to Nia J.
Nia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was in college as a Biology major…After earning my degree, I returned home to Houston and learned quickly learned that some Public Relations roles are first disclosed by word-of-mouth. So with my difficulty of securing a position directly in Public Relations, I entered the work force through Education. After two years of being a secondary school Math tutor, I earned teacher certifications in English, then continued my career in Education for two additional years. … During the summer of my last year teaching, I took a Digital Marketing certification course in addition to volunteering with a non-profit organization called, “Beauty Beyond Breast Cancer” to update and enhance my Public Relations skills. I learned about this organization through a co-worker on campus who is also a member of the organization. During this time period, I also became a member of PRSA Houston after encouragement from that same co-worker. My membership in PRSA Houston, led to a freelance opportunity and my current role, Internal Relations Consultant for an oil and gas company. The best advice I can give for anyone who wants to return to their passion: do it bravely, seek people who believe in your vision and will support your journey, join organizations related to that profession, make time for self-care as these periods in life can cause stress, and lastly, look for opportunities to share your story and help others who know what their passion is but aren’t exactly sure how to achieve it.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Struggles included believing throughout my journey that I will succeed, that the difficulty and setbacks I faced are worth finding the opportunities that need my skills and are clearly in need of my knowledge to bring value.
My advice is : If you are trying to enter or returning to a profession, I highly recommend volunteering, joining professional organizations, taking relevant courses to update your skills and lastly making time for yourself (aka self-care).
What should we know about your business? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My full-time position is…I make sure all forms of internal communication are promptly distributed and available for viewership as well as removed in a timely manner. I really enjoy this role as it allows me to support everyone in my department, therefore allowing opportunities to learn the different aspects of Internal Relations while also cultivating relationships with other departments including IT, Creative, and External Relations.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Advice for finding a mentor: Share your passions with those who believe in you, that way it’s on their mind. Even if they don’t have the skill set you could learn from, they might know someone who does.
Advice for networking: discuss your goals with your friends, join professional organizations, update your LinkedIn, use social media platforms that are popular to that profession and network through your account, volunteer, and if you are of a practicing faith, tell people there that you are interested in XYZ.
In the words of Maya Washington, you need to “Be Shameless”.
Contact Info:
- Email: njrrtt@gmail.com
- Other: njrrtt.wixsite.com/portfolio
Image Credit:
Image credit: Headshot by Tabia Jarrett. All other images were taken by me.
Current project image is related to duties for my full-time job.
For those just getting started Power Point slide is from a Resume and Networking Workshop held by PRSA Houston.
The Beauty Beyond Breast Cancer images were from their annual Fashion Show and Luncheon.
The Telemundo image is from a Members Only Media Tour held by PRSA Houston.
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