Communication School Alumna, Erin Vogt, started the new year right with an article in the Public Relations Society of America’s national publication, Strategies and Tactics. Her article “How Motherhood Made Me a Better PR Pro” focused on how the “Motherhood Penalty” negatively impacts women across the entire workforce. Erin narrowed in on six motherhood skills that she translates into her professional world.
“You don’t have to sacrifice your family to have a rewarding career and your career doesn’t have to take a backseat to your family. Women can be successful at both,” she explains. The article focuses on the ways that her 18-month-old son Emmett tests her communication skills, patience, and time management, and how she brings those lessons into work with her. She also mentions skills she has learned on the job that she now uses with Emmett and her husband at home. “Life is a beautiful, messy balance and we should embrace that,” she says.
The article also brings up several statistics regarding how mothers are negatively perceived in office settings. While Erin feels lucky to work in an environment that understands the need for flexibility between work and personal life, she highlights that many women aren’t so fortunate. She hopes this article will shed a light on the challenges working mothers unrightfully face. “While I’m only one voice, the more we can speak up and advocate for working moms, the closer we come to narrowing the gap between men and women in the workplace,” she says.
Erin currently serves as the Director of Public Relations for PERITUS in Birmingham, Alabama. While at FSU, Erin studied Mass Media Studies, earning her Bachelor’s degree in 2008. Although she did not focus on PR while in school, Erin built a strong passion for research and gained the ability to package information into easily digestible written or spoken communications. “I still use these skills every single day in public relations,” she explains. “As long as you have a strong foundation of absorbing new information, thinking through it strategically then clearly communicating it, you have the tools you need to be a successful communications professional.”
For students looking to follow a similar path as Erin, she recommends finding experience wherever you can. “Securing internships or shadowing opportunities, taking professionals out to coffee to learn more about public relations, getting involved in PRSSA and attending conferences, and refining your writing” are some of her top recommendations.
Erin would like to thank her husband Jason, a fellow Seminole, for his “overwhelming support throughout [her] career and this journey of parenthood. Having the right support system makes life much more enriching,” she says.
You can read Erin’s full article here.