I think businesses have a greater obligation to give back in appropriate ways. Why? The job market for this year’s graduating college class is absolutely brutal. It’s a perfect storm: uncertainty, cost of debt, inflation, AI, fewer “humans” in human resources. Maybe a dose of apathy, too. I worry about young people these days. Businesses should too, because in five years, or 10, where are the next crop of business leaders going to come from if we aren’t hiring entry-level workers today? Every business can do *something*, even little things, which in the grand scheme, add up to help a lot of people get their proverbial foot in the door. To that end, please join me in congratulating Alex Austin Vollor! She’s the first-ever newly minted college graduate to complete the Graduate Jump Start Program at my little company Sword and the Script Media, LLC (@SwordandScript). It’s a 12-week program designed to help aspiring marketing and comms people earn (not "give") real-world experience. It’s a paid part-time gig, but make no mistake, it’s challenging and intensive. She’s ready to hit the ground running wherever she lands. Over the last few weeks, she has: -Written a handful of assigned blog posts on deadline; -Participated in real client meetings; -Completed the “Fundamentals of Media Relations” course by @muckrack; -Researched and developed a bona fide media list the old-fashioned way; -Developed a survey questionnaire on a newsy subject; -Analyzed the data and produced a report; -Drafted a press release, put it out on a wire service; -Pitched media and landed quality COVERAGE; and -Tracked results using a method that demonstrates the business value. There are also many business skills she learned through implied tasks: billable hours, time management, project management, client relations, and reporting. Dealing with me, too, which is a skill in a category of its own. And at the suggestion of my accountant, she only gets paid when the deliverables are completed, which is also an inherent business lesson. Whether they are aware of it or not, these people and businesses have been part of this program: @annhandley, @ginidietrich , @michaelsmartpr and many others. She’s got a handful of new skills and experiences that set her apart!  So, my ask of YOU, my dear network, is three-fold: 1. Consider connecting with her on LinkedIn (will put a link in the comments - she's not on X); 2. Share her LinkedIn profile with contacts you know who are hiring; and 3. Contemplate how you, or your business, might be able to put something together to make a difference in your backyard. To that final point, there’s one more thing: she taught me a lot, too. To paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson, ‘it is one of the beautiful compensations of life that no person can sincerely try to help another without helping themself.’ #marketing #publicrelations #humanresources

Please join me in congratulating Alex Austin Vollor on her first guest post as a newly minted graduate of @MSUComm. Her work here is part of a program for newly minted college grads by @SwordandScript. This is a part-time, paid position intended to help her gain real-world experience while she continues her job search. This is the first of several posts she will write and publish: What is public relations? Trust, credibility and third-party validation [special guest post] swordandthescript.com/2026/0…