I am not one of those people who maps out her whole life ahead of time. I’m more a take-it-as-it-comes kind of a woman. But, like most people, I always did have a general idea of who I was and what my life might look like. And, until recently, that did not include working in public relations.

I spent most of career as a tech trade journalist. And I was a pretty happy one, too.

Interviewing experts at leading tech companies and telling their stories was a pleasure and a privilege. Most of my coworkers were great. And I worked from the comfort of home.

Not a bad gig.

But after nearly three decades working as a tech trade journalist, I was ready for a new challenge.

“I’ll never turn to the dark side.” – Luke Skywalker

“Me neither! Well, on second look, the benefits are pretty great.”– Me

In addition to my regular work as a tech reporter/editor, I was writing advertorials, blog posts and case studies for clients. I really enjoyed helping customers tell their stories. And I wanted to do more of that. I started looking around, and, to my great surprise, a job in PR looked like it might be the right next move.

At Bospar PR I found a position that was a perfect match to my skillset.

Bospar caters to clients in the tech space, so that aligned with my experience. The team members I spoke with were dedicated, dynamic and interesting. And Bospar is a virtual firm; since I have been telecommuting for years, I liked that, too.

This opportunity really checked all my boxes. But I’m not going to lie –switching gears from journalism to PR was a bit of an adjustment.

In my past roles, I typically worked independently, whereas Bospar takes a team-based approach. And there’s a lot more interaction between sources and the content team to perfect the message. However, the thing about PR in general – and Bospar in particular – that I found most striking was the speed at which the business operates.

“The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities.” — Chancellor Palpatine

I used to think journalists were much faster moving and more creative and deadline-oriented people than our friends in PR. I was mistaken.

PR people – at least those at Bospar – are some of the fastest-moving and most creative and dynamic individuals I’ve ever met. They put a great deal of time, effort, blood, sweat and tears into delivering great results for clients. They’re always trying to get a jump on opportunities for coverage by inserting clients into the breaking news cycle. And they make things happen by staging surveys and pursuing other efforts, so they have something cooking for clients even when those businesses don’t have product or other company news to announce.

So, what’s the report from the so-called dark side?

It’s a lot of work. But it’s also a ton of fun. I think our clients are all the better for it. So am I.