#pnny

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Finding a college was easier for me than most. When I stepped onto Elon's campus, I felt an undeniable conviction that I had found my proper fit. The choice appeared clear; and my intuition proved to be spot on. My post-grad job search, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as simple –numerous paths seemed appropriate. In fact, I wasn’t even set on a particular city, but I did know I was apprehensive about working in New York. To me, New York City was loud, crowded and nearly overwhelming.

Despite my apprehensions, I followed the advice I had been given to “cast a wide net”, accepting that this was the best strategy to find a job that truly excited me. With that, I began searching in New York. As my exposure to the city increased, so did my appreciation for, and attraction to the energy and opportunity New York offers. In the spirit of embracing that opportunity, I requested swapping my initial phone interview with Porter Novelli (PN) for an in-person meeting. I figured “why not?”

And here’s where I risk sounding clichéd (if I haven’t already), but that’s just who I am. So, bear with me.

When I got to PN for my meeting, I experienced a similar feeling to the one I had felt four years prior. I knew PN was a place I’d love to be. The people were both engaging and imaginative. The environment felt comfortable and supportive. After my initial meeting, Porter Novelli stayed top of mind during other conversations. So much so, that after my second round interview with PN, I decided to turn down a pending offer I had with another well-established agency in the city. To me, it was worth the risk. Porter Novelli was special.

Of course, you know how the story ends- I got the job! I have happily accepted a position on the Business Development and Marketing team here in the New York office. Fast forward about a month- and I’m listening to Erin Osher talk about her takeaways from the 11 years she has been at Porter Novelli and the role our time here plays in the bigger picture of our lives. She highlighted the special support system PN provides to employees, as well as daily motivation to deliver random acts of greatness both in and outside of the office. Erin emphasized how important it is to recognize work’s significant role in shaping our lives. Admittedly, with my 2 hour commute each way, recognizing that Porter Novelli is a major part of my life isn’t easy to forget. When asked how everything has been so far and how “brutal” the commute is, though, I honestly have had only good things to say. Sure – the office is ideally situated in Lower Manhattan and the Thirsty Thursday spreads are top notch, but it’s the people more than anything who have made my first job brag-worthy and the commute so worth it.

In fact, the New York office fills the role of positively “shaping our lives” quite well by offering countless growth opportunities, creative outlets and lively events. Each day offers something different; and I mean that literally.

Each Monday, the New York office kicks off the week with a Breakfast Club for everyone to come together and share highlights from the previous week, recognize individuals who produced great work and provide updates of what’s to come. The kickoff remarks are followed by some authentic NY bagels, of course.

On Tuesdays, a NY Transformers meeting is hosted; calling fun-seekers from all departments to come together and brainstorm ways to keep the office exciting and engaging. Initiatives sparked from this meeting include, but are not limited to: spontaneous coffee surprises, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, pumpkin carving and new office décor.

Wednesdays are for Writing and Wine- a writing circle assembled to provoke new ways of thinking critically with tutorials and assistance.

While each of these days offer something great, I am partial to Thirsty Thursdays. Don’t get the wrong idea, I might enjoy a good wine and cheese pair, but what makes Thursdays especially great to me is everyone coming together in a relaxed environment to touch-base and catch up on non-work related happenings. To me, Thursdays best highlight how fun, charming and interesting the PN-NYers are.

Friday, while good as is, is complimented by random assortments of treats and discussions of where people will reconvene after work.

The office moves in a natural, welcoming flow that makes a nerve-wracking transition from college to the working world nearly seamless. In between the aforementioned highlights are professional development workshops, holiday parties, bake-offs, scavenger hunts and, of course, brilliant work.

Porter Novelli is an agency that recognizes and plays to employees’ strengths and encourages its staff to find what it is that excites them and go after it. I love my team, the work is great and in case you were wondering, I’m planning to move to the city very soon!

When I was 7 years old, I handed my mother a Jell-O-smeared ‘business card’ with my name and ‘phone number’ on it saying I wanted to be a reporter when I grew up. Little did I know that 11 years later that goofy little girl’s dream would turn into a pursuit of a degree in communications.

After weaving through course loads of literature, astronomy, and briefly majoring in biochemistry, I ended up traveling thousands of miles from my home country of Belize to study Public Relations (PR) at Murray State University in Kentucky. Being the nerd that I am, I simply could not let go of the piece of me that loves literature—so I decided to minor in creative writing. As the current features editor for my college newspaper, I constantly use that journalistic instinct I had as a child. Between writing fun articles, whipping up poems (it’s not a phase, Mom!) and working on social media campaigns for two years, I often forget how far I am from home. Although I miss Belize dearly (my dog the most—but don’t tell my family), I’m a wanderer at heart. I’ve been lucky enough to dip my feet in the ocean in Ipanema, Brazil, take more than one trip to Mexico to taste its authentic cuisines and call two cities in the United States home. 

At the end of the day, traveling the world and actually living in the places you visit are two totally different things. Moving to New York to work for Porter Novelli (PN) initially felt foreign to me—quite literally. Hailing from an economically developing country where afternoon siestas are a norm and the population sits just over 300,000, becoming part of a melting pot that is the Big Apple simultaneously left me terrified and excited.

However, PN made the transition feel effortless. The culture here was, and continues to be, a marvelous surprise, feeling like home instantaneously. While I work primarily in New Business and Marketing, integration allows me to have the freedom to taste a little bit of what every employee at PN does. It’s true what they say in PR - No day is the same. One day I might be working on our marketing plan and the next, I’m propelled full-throttle into a pitch—proving the PN environment is my ideal work scenario.  As someone who doesn’t like to be limited to one specialty, being able to work a little bit with the analytics team, planning themed Thirsty Thursdays with the Rituals team and doing mailer runs for a client make my chameleon soul soar.

Despite knowing my time is short at PN (I have one more year left of undergrad), I implore anyone who has the coveted opportunity to intern here in the future to make the best of it. Help plan a Mad Men-themed Thirsty Thursday, attend a Diversity Alliance meeting, network with those around you.

If you intern here, jumping from team to team might seem scary, but at PN it’s what makes individuals grow, tapping into unexplored and limitless talent. Here, you’ll be sure to encounter yours.