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Chill out, super woman

by Emily Diab

The frenzy of Operation: Crackdown has begun for many college seniors, and for some of them it’s too little too late. But for others, the intense feeling of utter stress from the commitment they’ve applied for years will soon pay off. They will walk across the graduation stage and gleam with pride, finally getting a chance to breathe. But contrary to the “end of the road” analogy, that’s not where the crackdown ends.

Some people like to think that the celebratory stroll to receive the coveted diploma is the end of a long road and the beginning of breathing easy. Those people are wrong.

The hardworking PR students who land a career post-grad are smart enough not to let their work ethic die, in fear of losing their money source and sense of being. This tenacity is a familiar token in the successful women of PR, but can be detrimental if it isn’t resisted.

A recent Forbes article by Larissa Faw addressed the “burnout” condition that many young professionals, specifically women, are experiencing.

“One reason that women are burning out early in their careers is that they have simply reached their breaking point after spending their childhoods developing well-rounded resumes,” Faw said.

We have been coached for years on how to develop professionally, network with connections and ultimately land the careers of our dreams. Many of us haven’t had a second to breathe, in fear of losing out on a rare opportunity for success. We are in a competitive environment, and have been made well aware of the risks we take by not striving to be the best.

Do you smell something burning?

As you read this, you might be nodding your head in agreement. Those of you who agree have probably been blessed with the firm force of strict professors and the personality of a success-driven maniac. Most of us have been PR practitioners since preschool, and we will thrive as adults in the world we were born for.

But the reality is, Super Woman does not exist. The superhero powers we expect from ourselves are not the reality, and the burnout theory proves it.

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