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2 Public Relations and Communications

In this chapter we will learn from professionals in the fields of public relations and communications. We’ll hear from Sierra Brown, Director of Marketing and Communications at Long Island City Partnership, Riley Eike, Director, Marketing and Fundraising Support at Ability Partners Foundation, and Anika Hossain, Public Relations Associate at the Intrepid Museum.

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

A career in marketing and communications can be exciting and rewarding. Marketing and public relations specialists “create and maintain a positive public image for the individuals, groups, or organizations they represent. They craft media releases and develop social media programs to shape public perception of their clients and to increase awareness of each client’s work and goals” (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).

The following is a video interview with a very successful Director of Marketing and Communications, Sierra Brown:

Interview Transcript: A Conversation with Sierra Brown: Exploring the Role of a Director of Marketing and Communications, 2024

Introduction: In this interview, Sierra Brown, Director of Marketing and Communications at Long Island City Partnership, describes her career path and profession.

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Doreen Kolomechuk (Interviewer): Welcome. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Sierra Brown, Director of Marketing and Communications at Long Island City Partnership in New York. Sierra is a multifaceted public relations specialist focused on human interests, global affairs, tourism, economic development, arts and culture. Welcome, Sierra!

Sierra Brown: Thank you.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Thanks so much for being here. It’s such a pleasure and a privilege to have the opportunity to speak with you about your career path and to gain some insight from you about how people can be successful in your field. Can we start with an explanation or description of what you are currently involved in?

Sierra Brown: Yes, as you’ve mentioned, I am the Director of Marketing and Communications here at Long Island City Partnership. I’ve worked in my role for almost three years now, which is crazy. First off, Long Island City Partnership is the local development corporation for Long Island City, and in short, that means we promote why you should live, work, play, and invest in Long Island City. We work with all different sorts of businesses. We promote to workers and residents all the many things you can experience here. We also manage the Business Improvement District, which is a distinct corridor in the commercial core of Long Island City where we support the neighborhood through beautification, public safety, streetscape improvements, and general advocacy to make Long Island City a more livable place. Yes, it’s a job to fall in love with, really. We are one of the most mixed-use areas of the city, so on a regular day, I talk to people in arts and culture, I talk to real estate developers, I talk to people at different government agencies, so no day is like another. That makes the job really exciting and rewarding.

Doreen Kolomechuk: It sounds very exciting and very rewarding and very, very busy, especially since there’s been so much development in Long Island City in, what, the past, I don’t know, five years? There’s been tremendous growth in terms of real estate and I’m sure in other areas due to that.

Sierra Brown: Absolutely. I mean, just walking from the train station to the office, I look up and I’m like, “Wait, was that building here? Or did it have a facade yesterday? Or was it, you know, 70 stories high yesterday?” It’s always moving and changing. It’s amazing.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Not to get too far off topic, but I took the train in every day to go to work at LaGuardia Community College, which is in Long Island City, as you well know. And each day, I’d say, “Oh, it’s another building.” I mean, and we’re not exaggerating here, listeners. It really came up fast, very, very quickly, to become a big metropolis, I think.

Sierra Brown: Yes, for sure.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, what do you find most rewarding about your current position?

Sierra Brown: I’d definitely say working with small business owners and helping them to meet their goals or stay in business. I do get a lot of shoutouts from small businesses who say that I’ve gone out of my way to help them, whether it be through marketing or just stopping by or just really making myself open and available to them if they have questions. I think people like that I try to be visible and helpful. It’s kind of a core belief for me, to be helpful.

I know it’s been very challenging for many of our small businesses since the pandemic. It’s hard to survive. We have many businesses that are joining this neighborhood, but we also do have businesses that have to close. I try to reach out to find out what happened and it’s just very challenging. So, whatever I can do, or we as an organization can do, to help keep our ground-floor businesses, or brick-and-mortar businesses especially, in business is core to what we do. It is very rewarding when I can help them succeed.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s great. Yes, it’s something that I would never have imagined could be part of your role in marketing and communication. It really goes to the heart in terms of finding meaning and purpose and a passion for what you’re doing. What’s the overarching goal that sticks with you? What are some of the highlights of your career that helped you get to where you are today?

Sierra Brown: Yes, so I’ve had a very diverse, not totally linear, career, which has its pros and cons, which we’ll probably talk about in this conversation. Some of the highlights in my career—was definitely one of the agencies I worked at where I was fortunate enough to love every single client that I worked with. I also got to travel a lot and really feel like I was affecting the economy in these places, bringing new business to these places, and just getting to know people all over the world. I secured a lot of press for different destinations that I’ve worked with in the past, and so when you get—if you’re a publicist—when you get really good feature stories, or stories that you’ve been working on with a journalist for over a year and it finally comes out, that’s so rewarding. Whatever bad things were happening that day, it’s like all gone away once that story comes out. Definitely, those are some of my most rewarding experiences.

Doreen Kolomechuk: And so, how did you get to know how to do all this?

Sierra Brown: Let’s see… the long story or the short story? Well, I knew as a kid I wanted to be a journalist. That was my goal when I was 10. I used to spend a lot of time with my grandmother, and her favorite TV show was 20/20. So, it was kind of like a ritual on Friday nights—we’d watch 20/20 together, and eventually, I just became into it. You know, Barbara Walters.

There was a story on a particular airport and how they had a high theft rate for luggage. My mother, a friend of hers, and I went on vacation, and they were kind of like lollygagging in the airport. I remember I was like, “I saw this story on 20/20 about theft at this airport. We should get our stuff now.” They were like, “Oh, whatever, we’re going to the airport lounge or the bar or whatever.” Sure enough, when we got there, my stuff was there, my mom’s stuff was there, but my mom’s friend’s stuff was not there. She was a plus-sized woman and, you know, wouldn’t be as easily able to just refresh her wardrobe while in Miami at the time. It really put a damper on our vacation because she had no clothes. I think that was when I realized the news is important.

I was an English major in college. I had a lot of journalism editorial internships, and then I went to Columbia Journalism School. You know, I thought that I would be a journalist. Those experiences are important because they have affected my thoughts on ethics, fairness, and truth-telling. It’s a good background to have if you ever end up in public relations or communications. In journalism school, I was interning at a morning television show, and there just weren’t a lot of jobs on the other side.

I really wanted to work abroad. I had studied abroad when I was in college, so I wanted to be abroad again. Anyone who knows me knows I’m kind of obsessed with all things London and wanted to live back there. I found out about this program, which had me working in financial services for a year. Everyone thought, like, “Wait, time out, Sierra. You’ve done so much to work in journalism and now you’re just going to do something entirely different?” And I was like, “Oh, it’ll still be there when I come back.”

So, I ended up moving to London and working in financial services for a year through a program and I actually liked my job. I was working in anti-money laundering compliance, and a lot of people were really into anti-bribery and corruption, fairness, sanctions, and international policy and governance. All of these things were really important to the people I worked with, so it wasn’t just a job.

When I came back, I thought I could do this, but I ended up doing something that was on a partner team. It wasn’t the same. You’re not dealing with organizations all over the world—it’s mostly US-domicile, and it just wasn’t the same. So, then I had kind of like a quarter-life crisis, I guess. I was like, “Alright, now I’ve just left the career that I had planned for myself to do something else, and I don’t really feel like it’s manifesting the way I wanted.”

And I tell students to do this all the time—when you’re not sure what you want to do, but you know what you like doing, go on LinkedIn or other career sites and type in what you’re good at or what you want to do. You never really know what careers lie on the other side or what jobs are out there. You only know what you know, and you don’t know what you don’t know. So, I did this and some jobs in destination marketing started showing up. I was like, “Wait, I didn’t even know this was something I could do.” It was kind of clear to me, like, “Okay, I could totally see myself doing this.” There’s a lot of writing, marketing, and an international component, depending on what you’re working on.

I worked really hard to try to make a pivot and it took a while. It was not for the faint of heart. I think movies, books, or whatever make it seem like, or actually like reels right now, “Yes, I took a gamble on myself, and it all worked out.” And it’s like, there’s a chance it won’t work out, or there’s a chance that the path toward getting to where you aspire to be is going to take a lot longer than you think. So, you know, it might just be kind of topsy-turvy. I’m happy that I took that road, but I think people like to romanticize career changes in ways that just aren’t really realistic.

Doreen Kolomechuk: You know, I’m sure your background in journalism serves you well in any endeavor that you are involved in. Would you agree?

Sierra Brown: Yes, it’s a great foundation for good writing, which is important no matter what you do. Fact-checking, not just accepting things as accurate on face value, being inquisitive and interested in different things. So, it’s definitely served me pretty well, I think.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Absolutely. What skills would you say would be important? You just mentioned a few of them, but are there any technological skills that are necessary for somebody to be successful in the field of marketing, communications, and public relations?

Sierra Brown: Yes, I mean it’s changing a lot. I mean I’m like, “Hope I don’t get phased out.” What would I say? Obviously, some adaptability with social media is important. It depends on your role within communications or marketing; your technical ability is going to matter more or less. My role is kind of comprehensive, so, for example, when I started here, there was a program that my manager really wanted me to know how to use, but the learning curve was pretty high. So, we’ve moved over to a different platform that’s a little easier to navigate because you have to think about the time it would take, you know, time versus the outcome. But I definitely think more university and college programs that previously would have been more like traditional PR or journalism, are becoming a little bit more comprehensive, to make sure that students who come out of these programs have the skills to be competitive. So just being a good writer isn’t enough anymore in my view.

As far as people who work in broadcasting, they need to be like a one-man band. They need to know how to edit. They need to know how to produce. They need to shoot. They need to be on camera. You need to have all of these skills, and that’s hard, but you know, it makes you smarter and more able.

Doreen Kolomechuk: In terms of social media, what kind of skills, besides the writing, what other technical aspects are involved?

Sierra Brown Having a good eye for design, knowing how to take good pictures and video. Thankfully now smartphones are so good that you really don’t need as many skills on your own. The camera does a lot of the work for you. But yes, I mean if you don’t feel like you have a good eye, look at people who are successful on different social media platforms and mirror yourself after that.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Do you do a lot of social media within your work?

Sierra Brown: I don’t do as much social media as I used to. My colleague who came over for a second earlier, she manages most of our social media at this point. But I think in terms of social media strategy and kind of like thinking through the things that we’re covering, I’m still involved there. But for an organization like mine, social media is really important. That’s how you engage with the public. If our job is to support small businesses, we need to talk to people in the neighborhood, and they’re on social media. So, it’s increasingly important to have those skills or know how to work with others who have those skills and build out a plan and have goals.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Okay, excellent, thanks. Do you feel like there are changes in society that are affecting your career at this time or your field?

Sierra Brown That’s a good question. Well, it depends on what lens you look at that from. I think for business improvement districts and partnerships in the city, the budgets, you know, determine a lot for the kind of work that we can do. So, you know, the more money there is, the more creative opportunities we can take on, which is important to me as a marketing and communications professional.

If there’s a recession looming, there’s, you know, a smaller pool of money, and then things can get a little bit more bare bones and a little less ambitious if those ambitious ideas cost money. But I think sometimes it also means that you have to be more creative about how you can get funding. If there aren’t challenges, people don’t always think creatively. So, you know, when you get lemons, you make lemonade or, you know, strategize for the future when there is more income. Things like that. I hope that answers your question.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, it definitely does. I was also thinking about things like artificial intelligence, anything happening in that area?

Sierra Brown Yes, ChatGPT is the new wave. I’m all for it with an asterisk. I’m not sure how this is affecting students at the moment, but I do think, in a world where everyone is doing multiple jobs, you need tools that can help you work more efficiently. So, you know, it is here now; AI is here. So, you know, I’m using it in a way that I think serves me well.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Okay, yes, so it’s a time saver, you would say?

Sierra Brown: I think for me it is a time saver. I think for other people, maybe it’s—I don’t know how other people are using it, but I definitely say for me it’s a time saver, and it helps me have another set of eyes. It’s helpful in so many ways. It’s just remarkable that I think in just a few months’ time, a lot has changed, you know, really like in a very short period of time. Still, like feeling it out and figuring it out, and like instantly, and it’s so user-friendly. You can’t go back in time. So, for all the people who are like, “AI? No!” I mean it’s here. So, it’s like, you know, the milkman saying no to refrigerators. Like refrigerators are here now, so adjust.

Doreen Kolomechuk: I like that analogy. Now, you mentioned that you had completed some internships early on. Can you talk a little bit more about that and maybe the benefits of internships?

Sierra Brown Yes, internships are so important. I started interning after my freshman year of college, and I had an internship every summer. I had an internship some semesters. I had internships in grad school, and you know, there’s so much that I thought I knew that as I get older, I’m like, “Oh man, you didn’t know a lot.” But I had the drive and the passion and the willingness to do what I was told and, you know, surpass expectations. Some of those things I think are partly due to the fact that you’re like young and green, and you know you have like these goals about what you’re going to do when you grow up, kind of thing. But I also think if you’re a student and you’re not really sure what you want to do, interning will give you early exposure to different careers. It’ll also help set you up with mentors. You know, those kinds of relationships, like when someone kind of takes you under their wing, can’t always be replicated when you get older. You know, you kind of find these when you’re like 19, 20, 21, and they help you throughout your career, or you know that you have advisers that you know have your best interests at heart.

You can also learn where your weaknesses are and where you need to improve. For a lot of students, they’ve never really worked in an office environment. I know more and more things are going remote, but the office still exists. So, you know, it gives you some exposure there, so you’re not shell shocked when you all of a sudden have to sit somewhere from 9 to 5. I think that’s kind of challenging for students who’ve never had to do that before graduating.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s probably challenging for all of us!

Sierra Brown Yes, I mean the challenge never goes away, but I remember when I was in college, and I knew people who were like a little bit older than me, and I was like, “Oh my God, you have to go to work every day from 9 to whenever?” Like it just—I was like, “Man, I feel like I’d be like itching all day.” I mean maybe I am still itching all day. I like to be out and about.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, well, that’s the thing about your field, though because you’re probably not spending, you know, all of your time sitting in your office. You’re going out, meeting people, and working with other people.

Sierra Brown Yes, I mean I spend a fair amount of my time at my desk, but also, I think part of the reason why we have to work in the office is because we have to engage with the neighborhood and get to know people. There’s a lot of like after-work things to do with my job also, so I don’t mind the hobnobbing. I like meeting people, so I’m happy to have a job that lets me do that.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s great. You must be a real people person, as they say, working with people and getting to know them and that kind of thing.

Sierra Brown: I enjoy that as well.

Doreen Kolomechuk: What professional development would you recommend for, you know, someone trying to enter the field? You mentioned internships. Is there anything else? Any professional associations or any specific training?

Sierra Brown Yes, I definitely think joining professional organizations in college, especially if you kind of have a good idea of what you want to do, is so important. When I was in college; I was a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. And also, I would attend the Public Relations Society of America—well, the PRSSA, so the Public Relations Student Society of America—conferences. And because we didn’t have a formal PR program at my college— I went to a liberal arts school, so it was just an English degree, political science—I hit up students from a university in Iowa, like at all different schools. And I was like, “Hey, can I stay with someone?” or like, I don’t remember even how I found them, but like these—they were so nice. And it was like, “Yes, come stay with us, girls from some random school in Iowa.” They were really, really nice.

But anyway, my point is, you’ll get that early foundation when it comes to friends and other people who are very aspirational with their career, with mentors. And also, use it to see if it is like actually, “I don’t want to do this.” But yes, professional organizations, especially ones that have local chapters too, so you can get to know people your age and you can get to know mentors. And also, maybe just have some fun. And yes, while you have the opportunity to learn, I’d say take that seriously. Now that I’m working, there are so many classes and I think, “Oh, I wish I took that class,” or “Oh, I wish I changed my major.” Because I enjoy learning. So, I know maybe when you’re in school, you might think sometimes of school as a chore, but really, be grateful that you’re still in a place of higher learning and have professors at your disposal. And really lean into what you can learn in school; get as much out of it as possible.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, I agree with you on that. And speaking of that, like how do you keep up to date in your field? How do you remain relevant and current in the field?

Sierra Brown I’m subscribed to countless newsletters. I can’t say I read them all every day, but they are there. I’m always trying to read things on the industry. I also go to a lot of industry-focused talks and webinars. So, a lot of it is on my own time too, but, you know, I want to stay current with the trends. Those are kind of, I think, the main things. But there’s so much at your disposal now. You can watch YouTube videos on your industry, you know; you can follow people on social media who talk about what they do and who are thought leaders. Same thing on LinkedIn. Actually, I do encourage students to follow people on LinkedIn and make sure they have a built-in LinkedIn profile, even if it’s just, you know, your coursework and your aspirations. Like, I’d say get started there so you can start engaging with people in your industry.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Okay, great. Thank you for that advice and those suggestions. Any other tips that you could offer people who are interested in pursuing this field?

Sierra Brown: When you’re a student, I think it’s a great time to ask people for their time. Because sometimes people want to help a student out in a way that if you’re like a professional potentially looking for a job, you know, they might not be so giving with their time. But you’d be surprised how many people—my college was really about “your network is your net worth.” I heard that all the time. They ingrain this really early. So, they would be like, you know, always say thank you if someone spoke at a conference or something. And I would be surprised by how many people would be helpful. I’d be like, “I live in New York. Can I meet you for coffee?” And it would be like an executive and they’d say, “Okay.” You know? So, I mean, like, shoot your shot. The worst somebody can say is no.

Yes, and if they don’t respond to you, follow up. That is the number one thing that I talk to people about a lot: follow-up is so important. People are inundated with emails and communication at large. If someone doesn’t respond to your email, circle back and follow up. Don’t be crazy and follow up with someone seven times depending on what your ask is, but you know, don’t be afraid to follow up. You know, you were the one asking for something, so don’t take no response to an email as an answer.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So how do you prioritize? You must have a thousand different pots in the fire, so to speak.

Sierra Brown: How do I… I’m trying to figure out a way! We actually just started using a project management program—project management software—for our team, and I think that’s actually helping here and helping myself too. For things that have a lot of moving parts, something I do to more effectively prioritize is write out before I leave for the day what I need to do tomorrow. And when I do that, I’m usually a little bit more successful the following morning. When I don’t do that, which is easy to do because I think I’ll remember what I need to do in the morning, usually there’s something that pops up in your email like first thing or, you know, something else or maybe there’s something that you know you need to do but you don’t want to do, so then it’s easy to pivot to something else that you want to do. So, I think really sticking—not putting too much on the list the day before—trying to stick to it, even if you don’t want to, then you feel really better at the end of the day like, “I did what I was supposed to do.” I definitely think writing, taking that moment and writing out what I need to do the next day, the day before, helps me a lot.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Excellent, thanks. So, before we close, are there any last words of wisdom you’d like to add?

Sierra Brown: I want to answer that question well. Any of the real accomplishments that I had at work weren’t because it was something that I had to do; it was something that I tried really hard to do. Or it was that one thing or that one email that I was like, “I just want to leave,” but instead I sent it anyway. Or I went to a conference and there was someone who I wanted to talk to and then I walked by them and thought, “Let me turn around and wait for them.” And that person ended up being someone who, let’s say was a journalist, and I was able to make a connection with them and they wrote this amazing story. And if I didn’t do that one little, like, extra step, it wouldn’t have happened. So, in those moments when your intuition is telling you, “I think I should do this,” really try to listen to your intuition because it really makes all the difference.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Thanks! I really appreciate that closing comment because it is so important to listen to our intuition and to go that extra step. I want to thank you so much for joining me today. I learned so much. I know that others that listen to this will learn a lot as well, and I really, really appreciate your time and your insights. Thank you very much, Sierra.

Sierra Brown: Thanks, Doreen

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Related Career Information

Related Professional Associations

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DIRECTOR, MARKETING AND FUNDRAISING SUPPORT

The role of a director in the areas of marketing and fundraising support can be challenging and very rewarding especially when working with non-profit organizations. “Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization” (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).

The following is a video interview with a very successful Director in Marketing and Fundraising Support, Riley Eike:

 

Interview Transcript: A Conversation with Riley Eike: Exploring the Role of a Director, Marketing and Fundraising Support, 2024

Introduction: In this interview, Riely Eike, Director, Marketing and Fundraising Support at Ability Partners Foundation, describes her career path and profession.

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Doreen Kolomechuk (Interviewer): Good afternoon. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Riley Eike. Riley is a fundraising marketing professional who is the Director of Ability Partners Foundation. In that role, she provides marketing and fundraising support to leading community service organizations, including CP Rochester, Happiness House, and Rochester Rehabilitation. Welcome, Riley, and thank you very much for meeting with me today.

Riley Eike: Thanks! Yes, it’s a pleasure.

Doreen Kolomechuk: It’s such a pleasure for me and a privilege to have the opportunity to speak with you today to learn about your career path and to gain some insights from you about how people can be successful in your field. To start, please tell us about your responsibilities in your current position.

Riley Eike: Yes, absolutely! I joined the foundation as the Marketing and Graphic Design Manager and then kind of added more to my role throughout the years. Right now, what I do for the agencies is I provide marketing and development support. So, I do print ads, digital ads, all the website content, editing the social media accounts, and then I manage all of our donations. That’s all the donations that come in generally, and then our event sponsorships and event donations. We have about six fundraising events throughout the year that I also have to manage, and I’ll run the committees and make sure they’re successful. So, there’s a lot going on.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Do you have time to sleep?

Riley Eike: Rght? No!

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s a lot of responsibility, and I did take a look at the websites. They’re all phenomenal, very engaging, very interesting. I saw a video about the foundation. Did you create that?

Riley Eike: I didn’t, but that was—it’s a brand new video, and it’s beautiful. We actually went through an external company for that, and they did such a good job. It just launched, actually, in May.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, fantastic! It really gives a good overview of the organization, the foundation, and the different pieces of the foundation and how it helps others in such a magnificent way. So, with all of those responsibilities, how do you manage to stay organized?

Riley Eike: So, my favorite tool is I have a giant whiteboard in my office, and I write out all of the days of the calendar month on it. Then, I have—I’ve color-coded what is a meeting versus a deadline versus a post or website editing, and then I go through and check all that off. Our organization does reports for our CEO. That then gets transferred to the board every month, so that kind of helps to keep everything in line, which is good when there are so many hats to be worn at all times.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right, and can you describe a typical day? Is there a typical day?

Riley Eike: Not really, but so, like today, for example, we have our golf tournament coming up next week. So today was a lot of sponsor follow-ups, and I’m editing our tournament program, organizing where folks are going to go on the greens, what holes they start at, and then contacting the sponsors. But then, at the same time, I had an ad that just came out, so monitoring that. We had a press release that went out a few days ago, so I scrapbook all of the news coverage that we get. So, there’s a lot of scrapbooking involved. Then, I do plan social media posts every day, so I’ve got that tab. My computer’s just three screens and a whole bunch of tabs all up at once, but it’s a lot of fun.

But my favorite part of the day is when I can go and actually talk to the participants of our program. So, this week is spirit week, so they are really excited about that. I got to go into the programs and take a few pictures, which is always fun.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, that sounds great! And what kind of content do you post on social media?

Riley Eike: Lately, it’s been about events, but in order to maintain a presence, we have weekly hashtags that we post too. It just keeps me honest, to be honest. So, we have a Thankful Thursday that we post on CP Rochester’s and then Good News Tuesday for Happiness House, so we’re keeping up to date because with everything going on, it’s a little hectic. But the programs are really great about sending me pictures with different activities that they do. So, kind of keeping everyone abreast of the fun things that they get to do. They go on outings. I got pictures today that our day program went on a boat ride, so that’s always fun.

Doreen Kolomechuk: It sounds like a very rewarding position. What’s your favorite part of the job? I think you just mentioned part of it is interacting with all that are involved.

Riley Eike: Yes, that is definitely number one. Any chance I get, I try to go into programs, so it becomes easier when the teachers or the direct support professionals know me, and then they call me, with “Oh, we’re going to have this event” or “The parents are coming in today.” Then going in and really knowing the kids’ names or knowing the adults’ names and then taking their pictures and recognizing them through that is really fun for me.

And then also for the foundation, we give out internal grants to programs twice a year. So, they report on what they need, whether it’s like a piece of furniture, or there’s a residence that wants to go to summer camp every year. So, they put in their applications, and then we go through them, and the board ultimately decides, and then we dole out those. So, it’s really nice to see all that come full circle as well. So that’s kind of fun to see when we go into the programs themselves.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Fantastic! It sounds very exciting and so worthwhile. What are some of the challenges that you face in this field?

Riley Eike: For nonprofits in general, there’s just not a lot of staff. I mean, we have over 700 employees, but they’re all being pulled in programs and all these different places, so our marketing department is really just myself and my boss. So, there’s just the two of us. And then it kind of also involves getting on those misconceptions about what we do… “Oh, they just post pictures,” or “Oh, they just do this.” There’s so much to our jobs, and I think that’s true in this field in general. People kind of misconstrue what it is all that you do, so that’s a little bit of a border, but it’s really just about time, and making sure everyone knows who you are, what you’re there for, and of course, my least favorite part is when people don’t want to have their photo taken, “But we need it, please just it’s fine! No? Okay, never mind.”

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s funny! Yes, that makes it challenging when you’re trying to tell a story and people don’t want to really be in the spotlight, maybe.

Riley Eike: Yes. Everyone in our programs that goes through our programs has to sign a photo release if they are willing. So that release will give us access to use their photos and names on social media and in ads and in our newsletters and annual reports and things. It really helps then when you walk into a classroom and the teachers are obviously busy providing services. So, you’re like, “Oh, who can I take their photo of?” and they’re like, “I don’t know, I have to go get the binder,” and then you take time away from the kids’ room at checking that.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, yes, so that can be somewhat problematic. Time-consuming.

Riley Eike: Yes, but I guess it’s better than the alternative. We don’t want anyone to be exposed if they don’t want to be.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, yes, very good point.

Riley Eike: We check, we check, and recheck, and sometimes if we’re going really fast, we just try to take pictures of the backs of kids’ heads or the backs of adults’ heads to make sure they’re not in it. But, sometimes, especially with kids, it’s always the ones that can’t be photographed that will run right up to you and smile for the camera like, “Take my picture.” I know I can’t. So that’s always funny, and I’ve gotten really good at photoshopping those kids out.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, that leads me to my next question. You really wear so many hats. You’re doing writing, you’re doing photography, you’re doing Photoshop, you’re doing website development—all of those elements. So what skills are needed in this field?

Riley Eike: I think the top one is flexibility. I studied as a Journalism undergrad, and then I went for my master’s for Integrated Marketing Communications, so not necessarily the path of some other people. But it’s kind of funny to me that all of the side jobs that I did when I was in college, or even before, are all the things that I do at work.

In school, I helped to run an event club, and we brought fun events to the college, and now I run fundraising events for my job. Or I was an intern for our library, and I produced biannual newsletters for the library. Now I write quarterly newsletters for my job. So, it’s really interesting to see how the things that you necessarily didn’t study are able to be what you end up doing.

But I did study photojournalism at school. I took a few classes in that, which was great, and then I had a graphic design class. I wish I took more graphic design classes. That would be really, really helpful—not 100%, but very, very helpful.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, what computer skills are really required?

Riley Eike: We use a lot of Excel when we’re organizing our events—so much Excel. Everything is on a spreadsheet to keep everyone organized. The standard Word. I don’t dabble in Publisher because instead I choose to dabble in Adobe, but I do Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and then Premiere Pro. So occasionally I do have to create some videos—not to the quality of the beautiful agency video we just had, but little ones I usually do.

Then really, the online tools have become my best friend. So Canva for designing things really quickly, and Hootsuite for scheduling out posts for Facebook. And then we use Wix for website designs, and then we have Mailchimp for email marketing. So, there’s a lot of great tools out there, and I did kind of dabble in a few of them in school, but it’s mostly if you need something—there’s a tool for that—and you just kind of teach yourself on the go.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, you do a lot of self-instruction as you move through this field?

Riley Eike: Yes.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, what sources do you use for your own professional development or to stay current in the field?

Riley Eike: So, I, it sounds kind of silly, but I follow a bunch of Adobe Instagram accounts, and people are putting hacks, or “Try this” or “Try that,” and I’ve actually used a lot of those.

I haven’t dabbled in TikTok; that’s not exactly where our target audience is, so we’re slow to that game, and we’ve really come off Twitter because it wasn’t really doing us much. But otherwise, I have followed a few groups on LinkedIn that keep me updated. And then, yes, mostly it’s just different things I see in pop culture and then apply to myself.

We do have a state affiliate group that we work under, The Cerebral Palsy Association of New York State, so two of our organizations are a part of that, and we have monthly PR meetings with a bunch of like-minded people all over the state. And so, there’s a lot of sharing that goes on with that, which is super helpful.

And then we have a conference in October every year that we can go to, and there’s a special meeting just for the PR Communications people, and we kind of trade back and forth.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, that’s great! That’s really great. So, it sounds to me like if someone’s interested in this field, they really have to be motivated to learn independently and have the ability to ask questions and collaborate with other people.

Riley Eike: Yes, absolutely. Those are invaluable skills.

Doreen Kolomechuk: What attracted you to this career path?

Riley Eike: That’s a good question because I originally, when I went to school, wanted to write. I wanted to write for a company, but I think obviously the mission and vision of our agencies really drew me to the organization itself.

I love that we are trying to make a difference for folks of all abilities throughout Finger Lakes, Greater Rochester, and I love those people that we serve. I had previous camp counseling experience with the same demographic, so I knew that it was a much-deserved community that could benefit from fundraising and marketing, and people listening to their stories and sharing their stories.

Because in the end, it all boils down to someone’s going to share their story, and whoever reads it is either going to be inspired to volunteer or to donate or to share it on, and then it could help legislatively. We could get more of a budget for different programs, and/or someone could find a service that they thought wasn’t available to them but is.

So really, I was really inspired by the mission and vision of the agency, which helped, and then it being marketing and graphic design, I loved to dabble in Adobe, even in college, so I was drawn immediately to that. And then as the years went on and the job got bigger, I added all the things that I already loved. So, I added events, and I added working with and across different groups in the organization, so it just kind of made sense after a while.

Doreen Kolomechuk: It’s really amazing. I mean, you definitely make a big impact. As I said, I took a look at some of the websites before we met, and in the end, I was like, “Well, I want to donate!” So, you’re doing a great job with that!

Riley Eike: Oh thanks! Yes, the hardest working people are those direct support professionals and the teachers and the therapists. They are just doing incredible, incredible things. And even if they’re in these agencies and the legislature hasn’t come down and the budgets haven’t been raised, they continue to stay in the field. And it’s because of the people that they love and care for every day.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, it’s really fantastic, and I can hear in your voice your passion for working in this particular field. And you had so many choices, I think, in terms of where to direct your energies probably. So, it sounds like you found the right fit for you.

Riley Eike: Yes, for sure. Yes, I do get notifications, I’m sure so many do, from Glass Door and Indeed. That’s just subscriptions to my emails, and I don’t know, I, it’s just that I really love the idea that I can be the difference for some of these folks. I know I’m just one piece of the difference for all of them because they have the great services that are really making the difference, but to help in any way that I can is really what keeps me going.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Absolutely, and you are helping in a very huge way. A question I have for you is about changes in technology and in society. What changes in technology and in society are affecting or impacting your career field?

Riley Eike: I think for our office in particular, going more digital is kind of throwing some of our donors for a loop. We have very generous, generous donors, and some of them have been donors for years and years and years, and they have a very particular way of donating, which is great! We appreciate it, but trying to make that switch into, well, we accept checks, but we also are trying to take digital payments, and we’re trying to do online registration for things, and we’re considering Venmo to get the next generation kind of involved. That switch has been really challenging for us.

We just got a new software within the month, and we’re testing it out on our event that’s happening next week. It’s really funny; you can see the younger group immediately gravitated towards online registration. They had no questions, no qualms, they didn’t think twice about a transaction fee. They just went for it. Then we get our paper checks from long-time donors. So that’s really interesting to see for me, and I don’t know that it’s going to be fully digital anytime soon.

Doreen Kolomechuk: I guess you have to have a balance, use both techniques.

Riley Eike: Yes, which is what we’re going to be doing probably from now on, but that’s really interesting. And then technology with the rest of the fields—I mean, we have a policy at work which makes it a little challenging with the clientele that we have, that we aren’t supposed to have photos or videos or the like on our cell phones. But being nonprofit, we don’t have agency phones, so kind of spreading out the wealth because we’re asking other locations to take pictures to send them to us. We have iPads everywhere, but then they go out and they’re no longer relevant. So, it’s kind of challenging to keep everything up, but I know our therapists are constantly finding new technologies to help with their therapies, and we are luckily able to help them afford those within our grant writing department and our internal grants, which is nice.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Oh, that’s fantastic! Yes, so are you involved in any grant writing at all?

Riley Eike: So, our office is an office of two and a half, and I kind of help a bit, but the other two really are the grant writers. I do a little bit of proofreading for them; I’ll help if they have a pinch or a deadline, but they’re the masterminds. And then a lot of the leadership team also chips in because it’s a lot of information that people are requesting all the time. But there’s a lot of money out there, and if you’re not applying for it, then you’re not going to get it. So, it’s the same as college scholarships, really.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Any AI usage or consideration of using AI in your role?

Riley Eike: Yes, I do use that, especially to come up with postings. They tell you when you’re trying to write for a company that you need to find the company’s voice, not use your own, and so I try to do that as much as I can when I started. And then I realized that somewhere along the way, it became me, and then it just got—really stagnant. So, in order to help that and not sound like I’m talking on all three of our agency Facebook pages instead of someone else, I do tend to use AI that’s built into Canva, or it’s built into Hootsuite, as post suggestions, which has been very helpful, especially if, this is the same type of post, like employee recognition. We have such a great luck of retaining employees, but it’s like after the third post, I’m like, it’s been 25 years! I’m like, I really need some help coming up with these words because it’s just going to be the same thing over and over again for me. I use that a lot, which is great.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s great! Yes, I’m hearing that from many people that it’s very helpful, but it does require the human touch. You have to determine whether what it’s telling you is applicable or, you know, how you can modify it to make it a more connected or engaging piece.

Riley Eike: I usually end up like cutting, pasting, frankensteining it around with what I was going to say and with what they were going to say. But yeah, I don’t think it’s going to replace it in total, but it’s definitely helpful. I find it very, very helpful.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Okay, speaking about volunteering, I noticed that you are involved in two organizations and volunteering your time. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Riley Eike: Yes, the newest one is Special Spaces. It’s a group that’s nationwide really, and they get applications from children who are battling or have recently battled cancer and are recovering, hopefully. And so, they get the applications, they do a home visit, and then they redesign bedroom space for them so that they can recoup or be welcomed into the world of remission in a safe, comfortable space. So, it’s a lot of fun, and I actually heard about it due to the other volunteer job that I do.

One of the women on the board that I’m on, her grandson had a room redone, and she connected me on Facebook to that person and said “They’re trying to start one in Rochester. What do you think about volunteering for them?” So, I hooked one of my friends in, who is a professional interior designer, and then we’ve kind of become the Rochester chapter. So, it’s been a lot of fun, and it’s just so sweet and so heartbreaking to hear what these kids have had to go through, but it’s so nice when they’re so surprised and so thankful that they have this new room that they didn’t realize that their old room could look like. So, we’ve done, gosh, three or four in the last year and a half, I think it’s been. It’s a big undertaking. I’m just the brute force at this point. My friend, as the interior designer, she’s really in charge, and she is incredible at what she can do to a space, but yeah, I’ve really enjoyed doing that.

The other volunteer position I’m in, I’m on a board for Friends of the Olean Public Library, and it’s so funny you said I have two volunteer gigs. I don’t even think of that as a volunteer; it’s just part of what I do all the time. I started as a sophomore or a junior in college. One of my professors, and now really good friend, was the vice president. She still is, but she reached out and said, “Hey, we’re looking for someone to do our newsletters.” It’s a library in town, and I was like, absolutely! I love libraries! I love reading. I love my professor. I’m like, “I’m in. Sign me up!” So, it’s a really great group, and they just love the library so much, and they want to fundraise and make sure that it can continue circulating materials, stay up to date, and provide great services to the community. So, we do different fundraising events every year, which is fun. And I get made fun of because most people, they say, “Oh, you go and travel and go back to your school and go back to your college. How often do you get there? Maybe once or twice a year?” But I travel to Olean probably five, six times a year, and most of the time I’m not stepping foot on campus. I’m just going to the library and then going home. Some of the volunteers or community members that I see at those fundraising events think that I live there because they just see me at all of the events. But I make the biannual newsletter for them.

Doreen Kolomechuk: You know, it sounds to me like you were involved in a lot of activities early on, like during your college years, and that really laid a strong foundation for you to become proficient in all of these different areas.

Riley Eike: Yes, I always joke with my coworkers that I have so many things going on that I’m not really great at any one thing, but I’ve just had my hands in everything. I think that that stems a lot from college and high school even. I was just kind of overextending myself, and I tried to be in as many clubs as possible, even if they weren’t related to my interests. I just thought it was a good time, and then now it’s kind of reflected in my job because I have so many things going on at once. But it’s fun. I really do enjoy it. I like that no day is the same, even if the tasks are kind of similar. Like, I got an email yesterday that someone’s trying to donate a piano to us. So, it’s like you never know what you’re going to get every day.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right, that’s very exciting and so worthwhile—so, so worthwhile. Before we close, are there any tips or words of wisdom that you would like to share with someone who’s considering getting involved in this field?

Riley Eike: I was thinking about this actually for a while, and I think that right now, I think the impostor syndrome is so prevalent. You hear more and more about it—whether you belong where you are, whether you don’t—and it can hit you at any moment. I think especially in this field, people might not see what you’re doing as relevant or helpful. They’re like, “Oh, well, someone’s got to message the company back on Facebook,” or “Well, all you do is show up to an event and call someone and ask them for money.”

Doreen Kolomechuk: What do you mean, all you do? That’s a big job! A lot of people don’t want to do it!

Riley Eike: You’ve got comments: “I don’t want to call them and ask,” and I say, “Oh, that’s fine.” The part about doing all the communications for an agency is that you’re kind of first to know a lot of things, and not only that, but you have to understand almost everything in what you’re talking about. So, I had to do advertising for all of our programs, so I have to understand what each of our programs does so that I can draft up the things they give me. Obviously, they help out, and they give me the photos and they give me the information, but I have to make sense of it. I have to turn it into our forms or our ads or our posts, and then I have to put it out. So, when people come in and say, “Oh, well, I don’t really know what the guy two cubes over from me does or what his program does,” I can say, “Well, I do! Let me tell you about this.” Or we have—I think there’s like 14-15 locations. A lot of them are residences, but people are like, “I’ve never been there. I don’t know who works there.” I’m like, “Oh, I can tell you what they do for work.”

I have to answer those questions when people pose them on Facebook. What does this cost? How can I get involved with this? Do you have rock climbing today? Like, the Marketing/Communications person, they may not—as I said—know everything about everything, or be an expert at one, but they have to know so much information in order to kind of keep up and make sure that everything is current and relevant. So, I think that it helps to fight off that impostor syndrome because yes, maybe you’re just seen as the person who shows up and takes pictures, and you’re not client-facing or what have you in your company, but yes, you know an awful lot.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right, right. I always thought like impostor syndrome had to do with not feeling confident about what you are doing. Is that a piece of it?

Riley Eike: Yes, yes, for sure—not feeling confident, not feeling like you deserve to be where you are, not feeling like you’re in the right spot.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So really, we need to be aware of the tendency of our minds to go to that place where we’re thinking that we’re not doing as well as we actually are.

Riley Eike: Yes, —thinking you’re not doing as well, not doing enough. You’re probably doing more than enough.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, that’s very good advice for, I think, any field. To try to be confident in what you are doing.

Riley Eike: Definitely. Yes

Doreen Kolomechuk: Well, I really appreciate the time that you took to speak with me today. I learned a lot. I know that others that watch the video will learn a lot too, and I appreciate all of your insights and all of the knowledge that you shared with us today. I thank you so much, Riley.

Riley Eike: Oh yes, thanks for having me! This is fun.

Doreen Kolomechuk: And thanks also for the really important work that you are doing to enable people to do their best in life and get the most out of it. It’s really, really important work.

Riley Eike: Thanks.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Related Career Information

Related Professional Associations

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PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATE

According to the O*Net Online, public relations specialists “provide educational information to the public, develop promotional strategies or plans, write advertising or promotional materials, collaborate with others in marketing activities, write informational material, edit written materials, coordinate logistics for productions or events, conduct market research, and inform viewers, listeners, or audiences” (National Center for O*Net Development, 2024)

The following is a video interview with a very successful Public Relations Specialist, Anika Hossain.

Interview Transcript: A Conversation with Anika Hossain: Exploring the Role of a Public Relations Specialist, 2024

Introduction: In this interview, Anika Hossain, Public Relations Associate at the Intrepid Museum in New York City, describes her career path and profession.

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Doreen Kolomechuk (Interviewer): Good morning. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Anika Hossain, a public relations, marketing, and communication specialist. Anika has demonstrated success in delivering very compelling stories that lead to action. She’s an advocate for social impact and has shaped her career to focus on causes that she is passionate about, such as arts, culture, education, and children. Welcome, Anika. Thank you for meeting with me today.

Anika Hossain: Yes, thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

Doreen Kolomechuk: It’s really just a pleasure and a privilege to have the opportunity to speak with you today to learn about your career path and to gain some insights from you about how people can be successful in the fields of public relations, communication, marketing, and media. I know you’re currently a Public Relations Associate at the Intrepid New Museum in New York City. Can you please describe your overall responsibilities for that position?

Anika Hossain: Yes, so my responsibilities include developing and implementing communication strategies for the museum’s programming and events. This includes creating press announcements for our upcoming events and also developing messaging for digital platforms, developing talking points for our spokespeople for media interviews, and also just ensuring that all of our internal and external communications align with the brand voice.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Wow, it sounds very exciting and challenging at the same time. There are so many moving parts. What’s a typical day like?

Anika Hossain: Yes, so a typical day begins by looking at the news. I have set media alerts for my museum, Intrepid Museum, and I also have a Google alert for the New York museum industry. So, every time a museum in New York is in the news, I get a Google alert for that. So that’s kind of how I begin the day. Then, the rest of the day, I am checking my emails, responding to media inquiries, collecting information and assets to make sure they have everything they need for covering a story, and also developing messaging for our website, newsletters, and social media.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That sounds very complex. How do you keep track of all those moving parts? How do you prioritize? I know you start your day in that way, but how do you prioritize the rest of your day?

Anika Hossain: Yes, each day is different, of course, depending on what the priority is. For example, if we have a big media event coming up, if there’s a new exhibition, or maybe we’re having a new aircraft coming in and we know that this is something that’s going to get a lot of media attention, that’s the number one priority, and everything else sort of takes a back seat. So, we focus on that—coordinating with media, whether that’s managing a shoot or providing them information.

If there’s none of that happening, if there’s no press event, then we’re able to sort of prioritize all the other things like looking ahead at what we have coming up and what needs planning. Whether we’re going to draft an announcement or if we need to do a more targeted pitch rather than a mass announcement, there’s more time for brainstorming those kinds of things. Also, copy editing is something we help with—making sure that all other communications from other departments are aligning with our voice. So, if our education department, for example, wants to put out communications about needing teachers for a professional development program and that’s coming up soon, that becomes the bigger priority. We jump in to make sure everything is aligned with our internal style guide.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So interesting. A lot of moving parts! I hear you say “we,” so there’s got to be a lot of collaboration and teamwork involved, it sounds like.

Anika Hossain: Absolutely. I work very closely with my team. We are a team of three people, and we also work very closely with other departments. That includes Education, Marketing, and Institutional Development. We have to prioritize each department’s needs, whether it’s securing a grant for the museum. We jump in and make sure the language is convincing and aligns with our brand voice. If it’s Marketing, we ensure the advertising content we’re putting out aligns with our voice. For Education, we oversee what content is being put out on the website. There’s definitely a lot of cross-departmental collaboration.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Right, and also so much external collaboration as well. I assume that you have to have a lot of good relationships with others externally to make sure that your voice is heard.

Anika Hossain: Absolutely, yes. The number one external relationship that we have to build on is media, since media relations is a huge aspect of my role. So that’s something that’s ongoing—we have to maintain those relationships. And then also, with social media being on the rise, more and more people are getting their news from social media. So that’s something that we’re very cognizant of. We make use of any opportunity to collaborate with social media influencers, building partnerships that are mutually beneficial. So that’s also a key external relationship that we build on.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s great. So how do you build on that? Are you involved in professional associations? Do you reach out to people just sort of like in a cold-calling type of way, or is it a combination of things that you’re involved in?

Anika Hossain: Yes, so a lot of times it is proactive outreach, and a lot of times they reach out to us. So, it is a combination of both. For other organizations that I’ve worked with in the past, we have operated without a PR agency, and in those instances, I would have to research and build a media list. A lot of times it’s readily available online; a lot of times it’s not, and you have to use some media services to get email addresses of reporters. In my current job, we actually do work with a PR agency that has been tremendously helpful in building a media list. They help us send out our mass press releases to a list of local or national media outlets. And then, as I’ve mentioned, a lot of times media reaches out to us with interest in covering the museum, so it’s a combination of reactive and proactive outreach.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Excellent, thank you for sharing that. What is your favorite thing about your job at this time?

Anika Hossain: My favorite aspect of working in PR is when I’m able to successfully secure press coverage. That means I told a convincing story, and especially when it’s a high-profile outlet. It’s not every day that you hear from The New York Times, so when you do hear from them, you know that you pitched a convincing story. That’s the most gratifying aspect of my job.

Doreen Kolomechuk: You had a lot of background in terms of connecting with the public, especially as Assistant Press Secretary for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation during the pandemic. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Anika Hossain: I worked for New York City’s COVID response for a short amount of time—like for six months—and this was after I was laid off from a job at Jazz at Lincoln Center. So, I was looking for PR jobs, and then, during COVID, there happened to be an opening for the Test and Trace Corps, and I applied for that and got in. That was a very gratifying role. I was responsible for communicating with the media about all the resources that the city was providing, which included testing, contact tracing, and also the isolation hotels. There was an increase in testing locations, and contact tracers were available who spoke many different languages. We also arranged interviews for contact tracers with different ethnic and community media outlets to show the community that there are contact tracers who speak their languages and can help them navigate having COVID.

Then, with the hotels, we wanted to make sure that the public was aware they had this free resource and what was available in these hotels—what options they had if they had COVID or were exposed to COVID. This was before the vaccinations were rolled out. After the vaccinations started, we were responsible for being at the big vaccination sites, like the Citi Field site, which was a huge vaccination site, and then the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which was also another huge vaccination site. Members of my team and I would often go to these sites because the media was really interested in covering them, speaking to the spokespeople there, and filming people getting their vaccines for the very first time. That was a big aspect when the vaccinations started. I knew it was a temporary role—it was for COVID…

So, then I saw the Intrepid Museum position, and I was happy to see, “Oh, the arts and culture industry is coming back,” and that’s something that I feel very passionate about. So, I applied for that, and now I’m there.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s excellent! It’s very, very exciting. Your whole career path is exciting. Talk a little bit about your work at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Anika Hossain: Jazz at Lincoln Center was my first job out of college and my first official job in public relations. Before that, I had an internship, but this was more of a role where I got to really work very closely with their public relations strategies. My core responsibilities included developing and implementing communication strategies for their jazz concerts and also for their family programs that were for children and educational programs. For that, I also got to work with a lot of media. I was able to pitch to media and secure coverage, and also for our festivals where media was interested in covering, so I staffed for that as well. It was an amazing learning experience. Arts and culture is something that I really enjoy, and also it was my first PR job, so I learned a lot from that role.

Doreen Kolomechuk: What attracted you to this career path?

Anika Hossain: I have always been passionate about writing, and I knew that I wanted a career path that involved a lot of writing. I was particularly interested in persuasive writing, and I knew that I wanted to utilize that for a good cause. It seemed to me that working in communications for mission-driven organizations was the perfect path for me. I took a PR writing course when I was at Baruch, and that really solidified my interest in communications.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Excellent! What skills do you think are needed to be successful in the field?

Anika Hossain: Definitely writing. I think 95% of the time you will be writing when you’re in communications. Also, being able to write content that is concise is a very important skill because, when you’re dealing with media, you have to be very much to the point. You have to be very tactful when you’re adding fluff to your language, so that’s something that you have to be very cognizant of. I also think emotional intelligence is a huge trait that’s very important in communications because a lot of times, you have to issue statements for something that’s going on, whether that’s directly involving the organization or it’s impacting people nationally or globally. You have to be able to see whether or not you should jump in and say something. It’s not applicable for you to say something every time, so you really have to know when to say something and how to say it, doing so in a tactful way that is sincere and genuine. I think that’s something that requires a lot of emotional intelligence.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So interesting, and that’s not an easy skill to develop.

Anika Hossain: Right, and I think it’s something that gets better the more you are exposed to these projects. Also, case studies, for example, I think examples of communications plans that worked out well or didn’t work out well are very insightful in learning about what some of the do’s and don’ts are for communications.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Wow, thank you for that. With that in mind, what changes in technology or in society do you think are changing this field or impacting this field at this time and in your work?

Anika Hossain: In terms of technology, I think the way people have consumed news has definitely changed. When I was starting out, I don’t remember TikTok being a thing. I think it’s a relatively new social media platform, and now I’m hearing a lot of people getting their news from TikTok. That’s something that we have to be very cognizant of—where people are getting their news from. I don’t know what the future of broadcast media is since I hear fewer people say that they get their news from TV or radio. I’m personally a young millennial who didn’t grow up listening to the radio or watching TV, so I think social media is going to become an even bigger source of news. We’re already seeing that shift, and going forward, we may have to be more mindful as that shift gets even bigger.

As for AI, it is also making a huge shift in communications. We are already seeing what ChatGPT is capable of. It’s not a total takeover yet, but I can anticipate AI bringing a lot of changes in the communications field.

As for societal changes, I think there have been a lot of changes in the post-COVID world. Especially after COVID happened, it directly impacted every organization. Everyone had to issue a statement about how it was impacting them and offer some sort of support to the public. When the killing of George Floyd happened, the Black Lives Matter movement started, and that’s also when organizations felt more compelled to show their support for Black Lives Matter. Now I think there’s more pressure for organizations to be inclusive in their communications. I think in the pre-COVID world, crisis communications did exist, but it was more so if it was something that directly impacted the organization. Now, there’s more and more pressure for organizations to say something even if it’s not impacting them directly. The public is smart; they can catch on to organizations whether they’re being sincere or disingenuous. They will call you out, so you have to be very tactful and sincere about the way that you communicate your stance and support for inclusivity.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That is so important, and such an important change in terms of the way the world is looking at things nowadays. I definitely can appreciate that. How do you stay relevant in the field? How do you and others you know make sure that you’re on the cutting edge?

Anika Hossain: I think the number one thing to be relevant in media is to keep up with the news. You have to read the news and see what’s going on in national news, local news, and also keep up with what’s going on in the industry that you’re working in—not just the museum industry but the larger arts and culture, attractions, or nonprofit industry. Keeping up with what’s going on also helps me get ideas for what is trending right now—what story angle should I create for my next pitch. I think that really is the number one thing. Also, social media, as I’ve said, is becoming a huge news source for the public, so keeping up with what’s trending can also really help organizations stay relevant.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Are there any particular publications or media that you would recommend someone starting out in the field pay close attention to?

Anika Hossain: I know that there are organizations for communications professionals. I am personally not a part of any, but I believe that there is a lot of great information that is accessible online. I personally follow communications professionals on LinkedIn. I know there’s a PR professional named Molly McPherson who often shares insights and commentary on what’s going on. I think following these sorts of communications influencers is a great way to stay up with all the trends.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s great! What about training? Any specific training? I read in your bio that you had just recently completed some sort of training through LinkedIn.

Anika Hossain: Yes, I do find LinkedIn Learning to be very helpful. I took LinkedIn Learning courses in Media Training and Crisis Communications, so that was very helpful. I do believe, though, that exposure to projects on the job is the most important part of my professional development. I think that the LinkedIn Learning courses were great and definitely provide a foundation, but when you actually do the job and get practical experience, that’s when you really learn the most.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Interesting! Well, speaking of that, during college, it seems like you were involved in many activities and had many accomplishments. What prompted you to take that path? What spurred you on in that direction? Because not every student takes that tack in their experience.

Anika Hossain: I think that when I was in LaGuardia (Community College), I was very much involved with many organizations. I really wanted to utilize my time there and also learn about myself. I really wasn’t sure what career path I was taking, and I felt that the more I exposed myself to these activities, the more I got involved with the college and in different activities, I would learn about myself and what I enjoy and what doesn’t work for me.

For example, working at the Honor Society, I was a media officer responsible for providing information about what’s going on at the Honor Society, future events, and creating collateral for future events, whether that’s flyers or emails. I actually really enjoyed that aspect of the Honor Society, and that’s very much related to what I’m doing now. I think that was my first exposure to working in communications.

When I was in this organization called the President’s Society at LaGuardia (Community College), which was a professional development program, I also got to hear from different guest speakers in different fields. I initially was interested more in finance or accounting, but the more I networked with people and listened to guest speakers, I saw that there were all these other fields that I could explore. I wasn’t just limited to accounting or finance because I was a business major, and I thought that was naturally the field that I should go into. We actually did have a communications speaker for the President’s Society Speaker Series, and that sort of helped me be more aware of all the other options I had. I was a college sophomore; I still had time to make a decision on whether I wanted to be more in a business field or if I wanted to stay true to my passion for writing and pursue something that I enjoy and feel passionate about.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s really exciting! It was through exposure to things. Oftentimes they say, “We don’t really know what we don’t know until we know it.” It’s great that you had the opportunity and took the opportunity to learn more about potential career fields. In that realm, how were your internship experiences? Was that something that helped you along your way to solidify your goals in terms of your career?

Anika Hossain: Definitely! I believe my internships were tremendously helpful in exposing me to the field. My first internship in communications was at a nonprofit where I was writing a lot of press releases and social media content, and I really enjoyed the writing aspect of that role, but I also struggled with securing media coverage. I learned that not every pitch becomes a story, so that was sort of like a reality check that it’s not easy. But also, when I actually started working and I had more and more time to build on a story, to work on different projects, I saw that it is doable. You know, the internship was like for a limited time, so I didn’t really have that opportunity. But eventually, I learned how to tell a convincing story that gets attention from media.

And not just communications; I also had an internship at TED, which was more media focused. That wasn’t really public relations; it was more so making sure that the TED Talks were complying with the guidelines of TED, and I had to write short reviews of the TED Talks. So that was also exposure to the media world, and I think that also really helped me to see that I did enjoy being in this space where I am working with media and communications.

Doreen Kolomechuk: So, would you say that public relations is almost like an overarching area that includes media and communications?

Anika Hossain: Yes, I do think that public relations is something that falls under the umbrella of marketing and also communications. It’s utilizing media; it’s also utilizing marketing. There’s also copywriting involved in it. It’s a field that has small parts of many different career paths. Like, I was at one point interested in copywriting for advertising agencies, but I also get to do that for my public relations jobs. I get to do a lot of copywriting, and then working with media—I was at one point also interested in being a journalist, and I sort of get to be a journalist by, you know, writing these press releases and working very closely with journalists. So I think it’s really cool that you get so many different aspects of marketing, communications, and media in just one field.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Yes, it is. It’s very, very exciting. Are there any tips that you can offer people who are interested in beginning a career in these fields?

Anika Hossain: Yes, so for public relations in particular, I would say that people really need to be familiar with the news. I wasn’t totally familiar with the news. I didn’t grow up consuming radio or TV. It’s something that I had to learn, and I had to be able to say in interviews that I do follow the news. I had to discuss the outlets that I follow to be able to show that I know the industry and I’m doing my research to keep up with the industry. So that’s very important.

And also, for people who are considering a career in public relations, there is the option to either work for an agency or to work for an in-house communications department. There’s different pros and cons to each. I personally have only worked in-house, and I like the benefits of working in-house. But also, there’s many benefits of working for an agency as well, as you get to work with multiple clients at a time.

But I would say to not limit yourself to either just working for an agency or in-house. I started off by applying everywhere, and then I happened to get called for an in-house organization that I feel very passionate about, and I went for that. But I also think if an agency gave me an offer, and that was the first offer that I got, I probably would have taken that.

So, I would say to keep your options open. But at the same time, I think it’s easier to go from an agency to in-house. An agency life is much busier, so when you’re going from agency to in-house, it’s more like a relaxing pace versus going from in-house to agency. That might be more of a challenge, so that’s something to keep in mind.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Very interesting. I wanted to ask about your experiences as a content writer for ComicsVerse. Was that just on your own time? And then I also see you are editor-in-chief of Bengalis of New York. So, are those things that you’re passionate about and that you are doing pretty much on your own time?

Anika Hossain: I began writing for ComicsVerse when I was in college. I was a college junior, and I was really struggling to find internships. I knew that I needed a writing portfolio, and I didn’t have a writing portfolio at the time. So, I wanted to write for a website and build a portfolio.

So ComicsVerse was one of the first websites that interviewed me, and they selected me. I wrote a lot of articles for them about comics and how comics should be seen as a high art form. So, I did that for a year. I also got to attend Comic-Cons and other comic festivals where I got to interview and write about comic writers and artists. That was something that I sort of volunteered for and the more I wrote, I eventually also got compensated for some of the writings that I did.

That really helped me in creating that portfolio and sharing that in my internship interviews and that eventually helped me land my first internship in communications.

Then for Bengalis of New York, that’s something that I do as a freelance project. It is a passion project, and it is inspired by Humans of New York. And so, we are storytelling for Bengali people and celebrating Bengali people and culture through storytelling. So, it’s something that I feel very passionate about, and I’m also able to utilize my skills in writing and editing as I get to write articles about Bengali history and culture and also edit our content, making sure that it’s aligned with our voice.

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s really fabulous. I commend you for that. That’s really a wonderful project to be involved in, and it’s great to follow our passions. I want to go back just for a second when you said that you knew that you needed a writing portfolio. I’m just curious, how did you know? Was it because you were looking at opportunities and seeing that that was something that was needed, or did somebody say, “Oh, we would love to have you, but you don’t have any evidence of your writing abilities?”

Anika Hossain: I did a lot of writing, but it was mostly in my personal diary. So, I knew that it’s something I need if I want to show that I am a good writer. I need to have evidence of that, and I was applying for communications roles that wanted writing samples. And so that was a cue for me that I need to start putting out my writing on websites, and I need to start volunteering to write, or apply for paid positions for writing. I was open to anything. I just needed to build that portfolio.

I also, before working for ComicsVerse, I also started my own personal blog where I just wrote opinion pieces or personal stories. That was sort of like a pre-writing portfolio that I had before I actually started to have more professional writing samples. So that is something that I showcased to ComicsVerse when I was interviewing for them, like, “Hey, look, I can write.” And then when they selected me and I wrote for them, I utilized those as my writing samples, and was able to say, “This is what I’ve written for an actual website.”

Doreen Kolomechuk: That’s really fantastic, and I think it’s something for people coming up in the field to recognize. It’s important to get as much experience as you can, get as much exposure as you can. You can start on your college campus, and you can do as you did and start by, you know, maybe starting with your own blog and then moving forward from that. It’s a really great example. I think you’re such a fantastic role model for people who are beginning in the field. And before we end, is there anything you’d like to add to this discussion?

Anika Hossain: One thing that I would like to talk about is the challenge of working in public relations. It is very gratifying when you get the attention of media, but it can also be challenging to work with media because there are a lot of times where there are last-minute requests, and you have to be accommodating. And there are early morning shoots, and then there’s a lot of coordination that needs to happen.

So, it’s a lot of being quick on your feet and troubleshooting. It’s something that gets better with time and experience. It is certainly challenging, but it’s something that I think is not impossible. The more you do it, the more you are an expert. Once you do make something happen, it’s extremely gratifying to just see in the news that this is something that you put a lot of effort into making happen. So, it’s challenging, but it’s also, in the end, the results are worth it.

Doreen Kolomechuk: Thank you so much for bringing up those challenges because in any field, especially if we’re passionate about the field, we want it to go well. We want a good result and that oftentimes means that we are challenged. And I think it’s important for people to recognize that it’s not always an easy path and challenges lead to accomplishments. So, I really appreciate you, you’re ending with that, the challenges that leads to accomplishments. Thank you so much for meeting with me today, Anika. I’ve learned so much, and I know others that watch this interview will learn a lot too. I really appreciate your time, and I wish you all the best going forward.

Anika Hossain: Yes, thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk, and I’m really excited to share my experience, and I hope that people will learn.

Doreen Kolomechuk: I’m sure they will. Thanks again, Anika.

Anika Hossain: Thank you.

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