International Center’s Andrea Gils Speaks at PRSA Event

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 24, 2016) — A Uruguay native, Andrea Gils knew she wanted to pursue a career in public relations when she joined the pre-professional organization, Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at Southeast Missouri State University. She believed the industry touched on a variety of aspects she was interested in, “social media, media relations, event planning, just the ability to influence behavior in people and the hope to do it for good, is what attracted me the most to the public relations field,” Gils said.

Gils earned her bachelor’s degrees in journalism and public relations and is currently the marketing and communications manager at the University of Kentucky International Center. She has been able to mentor and manage interns and new hires, which have provided the experience for her session, “The Management Chain: What New Professionals and Supervisors Need to Know,” which she will be co-presenting with two of her PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) New Professionals colleagues at the 2016 PRSA National Conference in Indianapolis on Oct. 25.

Gils believes that “to be successful in any internship, you have to really immerse yourself in the company and the brand that you are working for, so you can understand not only the industry in which you are moving yourself in, but also understand your audience and how they really think and feel.” She added that “networking is very important,” as she recalled her own experiences as a young professional and how she developed relationships and built connections.

Gils will present with two of her colleagues from PRSA New Professionals, where Gils holds a national leadership role. The session will touch on different aspects of management and new professionals — how to manage up (or help supervisors manage you), how to manage your first hire, and how to manage your first account or project.

“Many graduates today have great technical skills and industry knowledge that they gain through classes, internships and other experiences,” Gils said. “But unfortunately, many aren’t getting exposure to two aspects of the business side of PR — management and human resources. Students today also need to learn how to identify talent, how to manage people and motivate them, how they can help their managers understand them as young pros and millennials, etc., because soon after their first entry-level position, and even in their first jobs, they will be managing new hires or interns.”

Gils described the role of a manager as “crucial” and called managers mentors, because “they should be role models, invested in you and interested in your personal and professional growth.” “Great managers are those who set you up for success and push you to be your very best,” Gils said. Aside from this, Gils mentioned the importance of students seeking to challenge themselves in the workplace to be able to “maximize their experience.”

Gils will have the platform to speak about the importance of managing interns and direct reports at the PRSA 2016 National Conference, and she is very excited to have the opportunity. “[I] am excited because we are talking about engaging new professionals and what the future generation’s needs are,” Gils said. “We are talking about millennials and Gen Z, how they are wired and how they think. You can’t manage a millennial or a Gen Z the same way you manage a Gen X or a baby boomer,” Gils said.

Gils added, “[I’m] also excited to be representing UK at the largest PRSA event of the year.” Gils will be presenting with Development Counsellors International’s Hanna Porterfield and CareerSource’s Ruthann Campbell. For more information about the 2016 PRSA Conference and Gils’ session, click here.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Gail Hairston, 859-257-3302, gail.hairston@uky.edu