Jillian Curcio (‘17), Assistant Account Executive at MSL Group, followed a road to success by setting goals and achieving them. Each new opportunity she landed, she set goals to remind herself to keep reaching and keep going. When she joined Temple’s chapter of PRSSA her sophomore year, she realized how attainable her goals could be.
On Tuesday, January 29, our chapter had the honor of having the recent alumna share her journey to where she is now and how PRSSA helped her along the way.
To start off her presentation, Curcio shared how she vividly remembers the Flyers marketing director, Sarah Schwab coming to a PRSSA meeting. After the visit, she set a goal to intern for the Flyers before she graduated. During her time at Temple, Curcio pushed herself and gained internships in many facets of PR, including the Temple Career Center, Flackable and Tierney until she finally attained her goal of working for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Now, a year post-graduation, Curcio works for MSL Group, an integrated communications agency, in New York City. Her work is a mix of creative PR and marketing specializing in consumer brands, specifically Proctor and Gamble’s Always and Tampax products. She works in both international and local markets, which taught her the importance of knowing your audience and paying attention to detail.
Curcio explained how, as a member of PRSSA and Secretary for PRowl Public Relations, she learned the importance of networking and internships. “Internships will prepare you for post-grad and networking is key,” Curcio said. “Most people will say, ‘It’s all about who you know’, BUT truly it is about putting yourself out there and letting people know YOU.”
A lesson Curcio had to learn was that a first job does not equal a forever job. She would tell her younger self: “Don’t stress about the job search – it WILL happen. Each accomplishment is a stepping stone to larger success.” Even after experiencing struggles, Curcio continued to set goals for herself and found her place in the city that never sleeps.
Going forward, Curcio shared her next goal is to work in-house at a hospital. She interned in the PR department atChildren’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) during her time at Temple and loved the experience of doing PR for such a large and important facility.
One of Curcio’s favorite events to attend as a PRSSA member was the annual conference. Now, she has come full circle and will be speaking in the Engaging Influencer Campaigns panel at Temple PRSSA’s Regional Conference, Being a Full Service PRo. Get your tickets now and hear Jill’s amazing advice first-hand!
This blog post was written by Caitlin Gemmi, Digital Publications Editor.
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