<p>Currently I am a freshman in college but I came in with a good amount of credits so that next semester I will start taking major-specific classes instead of General Education classes. I am aiming towards an Advertising/Public Relations major. I am most likely going to do multiple minors, or double major. I'm not sure what to do though. For minors, possibly Hospitality Management, Psychology, Film-Cinema Studies(I'd like to be involved in the Entertainment industry, particularly in film), Event Management, or Health Services Administration (I would choose a few from these categories). Double Majoring is also an option, but I'm not sure what would be my other major since I already had such trouble deciding on my first major. Maybe something in business. I'm currently taking a macroeconomics class, and so far I've found it somewhat interesting. If I continue to find it interesting maybe I'll pursue something on it. </p>
<p>Can anyone give me some advice on what to study? Like what minors and majors would go well with an Ad/PR major?</p>
<p>Also! I feel like everywhere I go to look, people talk about Advertising/Public Relations major in a negative way. Like, the job outlook is bleak, the salary is low, etc.
Any Ad/PR majors or Communications majors can help me out and tell me the true story? Am I wasting my time? </p>
<p>Does it matter where you get your degree from if you are an Ad/PR major?</p>
<p>No. Problem is, in my opinion, this isn’t the “no” you’re looking for. Advertising and PR are not challenging curriculums and your career aspirations are a dime a dozen in an industry with such few positions available that is a problem. </p>
<p>I’ve met loads and loads of people (usually female) who dream of being hollywood PR reps. I’ve never met ONE who actually ended up doing anything remotely close to that. </p>
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<p>You cannot take the opinion of one succesful person on a message board and say that since they succeeded all the facts and figures are wrong. PR consitently gets put at the bottom of both salary potential and employment opportunities and thats because two things: (1) You will never take a difficult class as compared to the majors that do well in salary and employment studies. (2) So many people have the Hollywood PR rep fantasy and it’s not an open door business. You need an amazing connection.</p>
<p>You realize that you are saying “I dream of an ultra-exclusive position, but if that doesn’t work out I’ll settle for a semi-exclusive position”. A fall back for promoting films is not promoting fashion and tv.</p>
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<p>Sorry to be honest but living in NYC with a major many look down upon at a school 1000s of miles away with zero reputation in NYC will not afford you a comfortable lifestyle.</p>
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<p>They live in poverty a lot of the time and the ones who live comfortably either had a big break or went to a very good school for their industry or a school with a solid reputation in NYC.</p>
<p>College is about growing up. Part of growing up is realizing that in order to meet your goals you have to set realistic goals. The glaring thing in your post is that you obviously don’t want to be poor. If you came on and said “I don’t care how much I make I just want to live in NYC! What should I add to this degree to make me stand out” I would leave it up to people who know more about the industry, but you made it obvious that living paycheck to paycheck isn’t something you want to do.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input, plscatamacchia on my situation. It’s good to get some straight-forward advice. Only thing is, why must you talk about my post in such a condescending manner? I’m a college freshman, and the reason I even came on here for advice is to know I’m not choosing a path that’s not practical. I’m not on here to whine about wanting a high profile job and making money too. I never said took “the opinion of one successful person on a message board and say that since they succeeded all the facts and figures are wrong.” You make it sound as if I am spiteful that others are successful so I say they tell me false information. I’m just looking for other Ad/PR majors who have experience in the field to tell me THEIR experiences, instead of posting on a general board where people who have only heard things tell me what they heard. I wanted to hear real life experiences (what I meant on “true story”), not what someone has heard through the grapevine.</p>
<p>You ALSO make it sound as if I am lazy and only want the easy way out. This thread was in hopes of asking others their opinion on what other majors or minors would complement an Ad/PR major. I am more than willing to pursue different degrees and work for it. </p>
<p>And please don’t assume things about me. I KNOW that industries like film, television, and fashion are ultra-exclusive. I DID include promotion for hotels as well as hospitals and I am not opposed in doing it for non-profits. These aren’t my fallbacks; these are my other interests. I would be happy if in the future I could work a Ad/PR job in ANY of these areas, just happiest if I got anywhere close to film. </p>
<p>This part, “If you came on and said “I don’t care how much I make I just want to live in NYC! What should I add to this degree to make me stand out” I would leave it up to people who know more about the industry, but you made it obvious that living paycheck to paycheck isn’t something you want to do.” is what confuses me. This thread that I posted was to ask people what I should add to the degree to stand out. If you re-read it, I specifically stated, “Can anyone give me some advice on what to study? Like what minors and majors would go well with an Ad/PR major?”. How does this not qualify as a question on what to add to my degree to stand out? </p>
<p>Lastly you make me sound like I am out of my mind for wanting to live comfortably. I’m sure no one out there, if they had the choice, would want to live paycheck by paycheck.</p>
<p>I came here for some advice on what I should set as my goals, not for criticism on how I’m unrealistic and naive.</p>
<p>Don’t worry, I’m in a similar position as for figuring out majors/minors. I’ve asked a few questions on here too and everyone’s really condescending, as you’ve experienced. </p>
<p>Just so you know, I live near NYC and know plenty of people who live there comfortably and aren’t amazing individuals. </p>
<p>I was considering a communications major for a while, too. now I’m arts management (you should look into that) but I’m more focused on art history (I think-argh!). </p>
<p>I’ve heard the same negative attitudes towards comm majors, but I think that as long as you really work your butt off to make a name for yourself with projects, etc, then you can make it anywhere!</p>
<p>good luck, and don’t let the rude people on here get you down! they’re probably really unsuccessful old people wishing they didn’t waste away their life, anyway :)</p>
<p>Thanks jmpotter1 for the feedback! This is what kind of things I wanted to hear. Real experience. Thanks for your info on living in NYC. It’s good to know I should be able to make it there.
I don’t understand why people look down on Comm majors. It’s annoying.</p>
<p>Because it’s a degree that presents no difficult topics and it doesn’t build any skills. It’s a joke. </p>
<p>I’m not old nor am I unsuccessful. I’m just someone who doesn’t understand why people waste thousands of dollars and 4 years on ridiculous degrees like Communication or Arts Management. Good luck in this awful job market getting any decent job with those degrees. You’re dreaming if you think “good projects” will overshadow the fact that over 4 years you never took a class that an 8th grader who tried hard could get a B in. </p>
<p>You just posted here wanting to here exactly what potter Said rather than the truth. Good luck at starbucks.</p>
<p>Plscatamacchia, I came here looking for advice and experience from others who HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE IN FIELDS I AM INTERESTED IN. Thanks for your reality check but I didn’t come here to be insulted and talked down to. If you thought the major was pointless, then reason it to me. Do you know anyone that has an Ad/PR degree who told you it was pointless? If so, that’s the information I was looking for, not your opinion. I did not come here looking for what I wanted to hear. I thanked jmpotter1 because he/she told me information I was looking for; he/she lives near NYC and knows people that live there. So please get off your high horse and stop going around condescending others.</p>
<p>I’m attending a liberal arts college, so I don’t have much familiarity with the curriculum involved in Ad/PR or Events Management, Hospitality, etc. I’m a junior Creative Writing major, and have found myself interested in careers that relate to public affairs and communications, specifically in government and literary fields. I think that over the last few years I’ve been able to develop related skills, and I’m really confident in them now that I’m filling out apps for next summer. You’re planning out everything early as a freshman, which is such a good idea! I think because you’re thinking about it so early on, and have time to, you should double major. If people are being negative towards an ad/pr major, than having something else on top of that will really help to show that you’re not a slacker and that you have multi-faceted skills and interests. </p>
<p>I would really encourage you to take on jobs and internships that help build your skills and your resume-- you may be able to find something on campus with an office like public relations, admission, or event-planning. Use your college’s career center and look for summer internships in the fields that your interested in. You will probably have to start with small lesser-known companies and then work your way up through different internships. By your junior or senior year you might be able to snag something in New York and start making connections in your industry there. </p>
<p>I have found my college’s career center (I think every college has one) incredibly helpful, and you’ll typically get less snotty, more constructive answers than you’ll find on internet forums :P</p>
<p>AND I’ll have the mean person note that I’m an arts management major because I enjoy it and it makes me happy, unlike whatever major you chose that obviously made you a bitter, rude person!</p>
<p>Good luck, Carrie! You seem like you have the drive to do whatever you want!</p>
<p>Eternal Icicle your advice really helped me. I think I’m going to go for Ad/PR with a Double Major in Business and Minor in Psychology. I think all those fields fit in pretty well together. My Ad/PR major is short and I have a good amount of credits already from high school, so I think I should have no trouble completing another major and minor. Thanks for your advice though that’s exactly what I needed. I just wanted to see college through another person’s perspective. The job market world is a little scary. Thanks again!</p>