When I first heard about Her Campus in the fall of my sophomore year, I remember asking a girl in my sorority about joining that semester. She told me how fun it was and encouraged me to apply, but told me I had already missed applications for fall and would have to wait until spring.
I bothered her way too much throughout November and December as I kept getting nervous I missed the applications. I remember when the applications finally opened and the position descriptions were posted online.
Because public relations is my major, I initially thought I’d join the public relations team (Her Campus UFL has two teams: editorial, who write the articles, and PR/events, who run the social media and plan the events). But as I read the open positions, one stuck out to me: “Gator Glam” Fashion Blogger. I had been obsessed with fashion YouTubers since high school, and dreamed of starting my own fashion blog. I decided this was my opportunity, because this was something I was doing for fun. No matter what I did for Her Campus, I knew I’d enjoy it and I would be able to add to my resume, and my friend told me I could always switch teams. Part of the application was writing a mock article about anything of your choice. And so became my very first article: “Gator Glam: How to Deal With Pimples.”
I remember waiting for the response email from the editor of Her Campus at the time. All winter break I kept checking my inbox. The lack of mail frightened me, and I told myself it meant I didn’t get it. Finally, one night when I was home alone, I got the email. I held my breath as I opened the email, expecting to, “We regret to inform you…” Instead, when I read that I had gotten the position, I just started crying. I called my mom and through my ridiculous tears told her the news.
Since then, my experience with Her Campus has been anything short of amazing. My time and position with the team allowed me to grow as a writer, influencer and as a person in general. I learned about myself and the world around me through my journalistic lens. Just as college is a journey of self-discovery for many of us, writing for Her Campus allowed me to discover all these different sides of myself. It’s here that I found my voice. I’ve loved every moment of this club — from the unique characters you meet, to the amazing opportunities it presents.
Speaking of opportunities, I can’t not mention the advantage it gave me in having published work. For every job or internship interview, I was able to show actual examples of my work. It allowed potential employers to see that I could write, had been published and had a personal voice or tone in my writing. These are all important things to show, no matter what field you go into, but especially for communications. When I tell employers I can write in a certain voice for brands, I can actually give them  examples of my writing styles. This was a priceless opportunity that came with doing something I loved that I will forever be grateful for.
If this sounds fun or interesting to you in anyway, keep an eye out for applications opening in June! And see how this experience can transform your college career, too.