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Agencies are where many public relations and advertising students choose to start their careers in each industry. Agencies provide opportunities to work with a wide variety of clients on a range of projects, making them great places to gain experience. Iowa State’s Barbara Riedesel Iverson Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America and the ISU Advertising Club both take annual out-of-state trips to tour agencies and learn more about their respective fields from working professionals. This semester the Advertising Club traveled to Austin, Texas, while PRSSA trekked down to Kansas City. Here’s what some of each club’s members had to say about their trips:

*Hailey Padgett, senior*

Club: Advertising Club — vice president, member for 3 years.

Visited: Austin, Texas. We toured: T3, McGarrah-Jesse, Archer-Malmo, GSD&M, and Proof.

What she said: “The trip was amazing and extremely useful in helping me decide how I want to begin my career in advertising. I was able to experience the company culture first-hand in a new city and really learn about what type of agency would fit me the best. The attendees on the trip were only students — no adviser or anything — and because of this, we got excellent experience organizing and executing a group function. My favorite part of the trip was visiting T3 and hearing about their client, Capital One, and learning about the ‘What’s in your Wallet’ campaign.”

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*Jordyn Levendusky, sophomore*

Club: Advertising Club — “I joined right before the trip to fill an empty spot and knew absolutely no one before leaving for the trip.”

Visited: Austin, Texas.

What she said: “Deciding to go on the advertising trip was a great decision. Most of us did not know anyone before leaving for the trip but by the end of it we were all best friends and almost a little too close to each other. It was very beneficial to see what it is actually like to work in am advertising agency. I also got a better sense of what they look for in their interns and potential employees. My favorite part was viewing all the agencies and getting to travel with a group of people all within the same major. It was also great to see Austin, Texas, and getting to see and hear what it is like to live there. Overall it was a great trip and I recommend everyone to join a group within their major and go on any trips they offer.”

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*Kolby Vetter, senior*

Club: PRSSA — current president, member for 3 years

Visited: Kansas City, where we toured Ink Inc. Public Relations, FleishmanHillard and Trozzolo Communications Group.

What he said: “Each year we embark on a trip to various cities around the Midwest to check out PR/advertising agencies and this year we had the chance to travel to Kansas City. During our trip we were able to visit five agencies and give our members a taste of the agency life. This trip is so beneficial for anyone that is considering a career in public relations. It gives us a chance to not only check out many companies and the culture that surrounds them, but to connect with some of the professionals that work there. As a PR person, networking is huge and that is something we really strive to do at PRSSA. I would say my favorite part of the trip is getting to meet some many different people and hearing their stories. It’s cool to know that a lot of them were in the same place we were and some were even Cyclone Alumni! I’m excited for our chapter to continue to take these trips to help students grow and become more involved in the industry.”