Benefits of a Small Firm Internship

When searching for an internship, every PR student will possess their own individual criteria for what they are looking for in a position. One student may be looking to gain some experience in the nonprofit sector while another might be looking to score a spot with a major agency. Regardless of where you intern, the goal is to learn, develop and to get closer to becoming an established public relations professional. 

In April I started at Jenna Communications, a small firm in Center City Philadelphia. I did not know what to expect and was skeptical about how much experience and knowledge I would gain at such a small firm. However, within the first month I had learned as much as I had in any course. Working with a small group of employees, I was thrown into the fire right away. During my first weeks I was creating social media campaigns, drafting press releases, connecting with press contacts and working directly with clients. By the end of my first month I not only had gained a significant amount of writing samples but I had also gained a significant amount of confidence. This confidence may have not been found if I had jumped into a large PR agency for my first internship. 

This is not to say that an internship at a large PR agency or for a major corporation is not a valuable experience. Interning for a top company allows students to learn directly from some of the very best in the industry. My advice for students to strongly consider what they want out of an internship. Although many may be tempted to overlook a smaller firm or company, they may be offering exactly what you are looking for. 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Jason Conaway. 

PRSSA National Conference summer prep: Steps you should be taking now

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Even though PRSSA National Conference doesn’t take place until early November, it isn’t too early to begin getting ready for the professional experience of the year!

Summer is a great time to stock up on much needed supplies as well as revamp your professional materials, so don’t spend all of your free time in the next two months soaking up the sun:

1: Stock up on Professional Wardrobe Essentials: During the last few weeks of the summer, stores begin to display their fall collections, which means that summer clothes go on sale. This is a perfect opportunity for students to buy nice shirts or professional dresses that are marked down significantly after being on the racks throughout the summer. These pieces can be layered with blazers, sweaters, or cardigans, which will take away their summer feel and have you more prepared for the November weather in Atlanta, Georgia!

2. Update your Resume: After many days of tanning in the sun or swimming in a pool, you may feel the itch to be productive again. If this is the case, there is no better task to pour your new-found productivity into than updating your resume! You will want to have a proofread, clean copy of your latest achievements for National Conference, and it won’t take you too long to update your current one!

3. Create an Online Portfolio: With so many free website builders out there, it is easy to create your own personal portfolio site without having to pay anything. Also, you shouldn’t get nervous if you have no experience with website development. Many of the businesses that give you the option of creating your own site will give you free templates to choose from, and oftentimes, there are helpful guides and tutorials to get you through the set up and maintenance of your creation. Also, think of how great it will look to have your own custom website listed on your business card when networking with the professionals at National Conference!

Are you getting excited for PRSSA National Conference? Tell us your tips and tricks for preparing for your trip to Atlanta!

What are we really using LinkedIn for?

Since the beginning of this summer, I have noticed an increasing popularity around the social media platform LinkedIn. While I made an account on LinkedIn during my freshman year of college, I was never too active on the account until this past year when I began to network with people that I felt the need to connect with. Maybe it is because my peers and I are now beginning to advance in our careers, but it seems that I am not the only one who had the same idea.

When I first made my account, I was prompted to sortthrough the “suggested connections,” so I connected withany close friends who also had an account at that time. As I have met more people in college, I have continued to go on and connect with those I felt necessary. However, lately I have been receiving requests from all different people, some of whom I have not seen since high school. The times where I have watched my phone light up with the notification asking if I would like to connect with someone from high school that I barely knew then–or even have a remotely similar career path to now–lead me to think about what the purpose of this platform really is.

Typically when you think about logging into LinkedIn, youwould probably end up updating a section of your profile or connecting with someone that you recently met in a professional setting. One of the best aspects of this app is its ability to allow you to stay in contact with past professors and employers. Some people have even heard of that one friend of a friend’s sister who received a full time job with benefits right in her LinkedIn inbox. With the importance of networking rising, LinkedIn has become crucial for staying in contact with those who could be beneficial to your career.

Or has it really just become a way to brag about your accomplishments to others?

If the future chemical engineers, firefighters, and financial advisors that I went to high school with want to connect with me, a communications student pursuing marketing and PR, what could have prompted their decision to connect with me? There is a slim chance our industries will ever cross paths, so did they just want me to look at their profile so I can see how well they are doing in college? Or has LinkedIn become a spinoff of Facebook where you need to have a certain amount of connections to be taken seriously?

Whatever their reasons may be, the most important thing to remember when using LinkedIn is that even though it has become the easiest way to present yourself as a professional, it is crucial that you are still able to network and act professional offline and in a public setting as well. 

Do you think the people you connect with on LinkedIn should be relevant to the industry you are planning to have a career in? Or should you have as many connections as possible, even if they are from completely different industries? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Kristen VanLeer. 

Instagram: Friend or Foe?

As PR professionals we love to “gram” our personal photos, showing the picturesque lives that we all apparently lead. Instagram is a platform where the average user can employ powerful editing tools to manipulate characteristics, such as thehue of a photo, to reflect the things that we’re feeling at any given moment. I’ve used this app in many PR situations, as I’m sure many of you reading this have. 

Seeing how many likes you can accumulate over the course of an hour may be fun, but is this a really good practice when youthink about it? There are always two sides to a story. 

Why Instagram is your friend:

Instagram is a great platform for posting selfies, images of places you’ve been and things that make you happy where your friends and other followers can see and interact with them. It can be an awesome confidence booster for those reasons.

Something I’ve also experienced while working social media positions is that hashtags can be an effective tool for connecting with your targeted audience and gaining followers. The visual nature of Instagram makes it a great way to get the word out about promotions and giveaways, in a way that’s accessible for your brand’s audience. Let’s face it, Instagram is a “cool” app!

Why Instagram is your foe:

One issue with Instagram is that it’s not always an accurate reflection of reality. Users have the ability to pick and choose the best of their photos, manipulating their feed in a way that implies that they are living amazing lives filled with fun and interesting activities. It can almost become a competition. However, most of the time you’re only seeing the cream of the crop, and a photographically manipulated version of it at that.

Some advice if you aren’t sure whether Instagram is your real friend: 

Follow accounts that you genuinely want to see! Whether it’s a friend or a fashion blogger, follow accounts that generate content you’ll be happy to see, and maybe consider unfollowing some of the accounts that you frequently swipe by. It’s just social media, if they even notice, someone you don’t even know won’t be offended if you unfollow them (and if they are, it will only be for a second, I promise). 

If you decide it’s your foe, I’d say it’s time to switch off and delete the app. You’ve got nothing to lose (other than the illusion of “coolness.”) 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Marisa Blackwell. 

Changing the Summer Slide into the College Glide

In numerous cases, what happens during the summer stays in the summer. A gloomy reality, though is, what is learned in the classroom may very well be put to the side and filed in our brain somewhere, only to be used once we get back to school. Avoiding that summer slide is essential, even though our courses can drain the life out of us throughout the semester. Here are two tips that can assist you in keeping your mind sharp, as well as allowing you to enjoy the glamour that is summer.

1.     Read, read, and do a little more reading

Not everyone is fond of reading, but staying on top of a good book will help increase vocabulary, and reading part of the news will only keep you well informed. So when you go back to school you can use all the fancy words you had learned, and give insight to what is going on in the world, and not solely about what you did July 4^th. You can also see some of the Prowl-recommended summer reads here and here.

2.     Staying in contact

It is always a nice feeling to know that someone is looking out for you, so why not be that person to check up on a new friend you had made during the year and see how their doing. College; and even life as an adult are all about relationships, so you want to keep the relationships you make with others strong. Also if possible, it is always helpful to get in contact with professors you admire. Those professors may know something new that is going on around campus that could help you get ahead.

Having a fun summer is vital to keeping our sanity, but keeping ones mind sharp is just as essential--especially when you forget certain things that are common sense.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Joshua Ortiz. 

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Internship

July is a reminder that the summer is half over, and those with internships have fully settled in. This month is the perfect time to reflect upon your experience, since there’s still time to make the most of your internship. Below are tips to help fellow interns stand out from the crowd and reach personal objectives:

Communicate with your supervisor

Interns often get lost in the shuffle of their busy boss' agenda. Create a list of goals you want to achieve while interning and share them with your supervisor. Goals that are specific, timely and measurable will benefit you and your boss by getting you both back on the same page. During this conversation, ask your supervisor if they are satisfied with your work; this establishes open communication to better the overall experience.

Network with coworkers

Many of the employees working around you have valuable insights and potential connections. Get to know those you work with--it's as simple as asking about their professional endeavors, hobbies, etc. Find out what you have in common with others and share your interests to see what future opportunities may lie ahead. Stay in touch with coworkers when your internship ends by connecting with them on LinkedIn.

Beat Boredom

Most internships aren't overly exciting, so it’s your job to find ways to keep yourself occupied. Talk to your boss and see if there are extra projects that need to be completed; if not, go to other employees you bonded with to see if they need your assistance. Interns are often brought on to help with smaller tasks, so working with other departments can lead to good hands on experience and diversifies your resume. If there is literally nothing to do, don’t revert to social media! Instead take advantage of your time by learning new skills on Lynda.com. Adding to your skill set can provide more opportunities to complete other projects. 

Don't get stuck in the mid-way internship slump! Be willing to put yourself out there because the return could include new connections and skills.

NBA Social Media Stir

Sports PR is a field that truly lives up to the saying “everyday is different.” Whether the public relations team is handling a regular game night or taking care of an incident involving a player, things are always interesting.

A prime example is how social media played a large part in free agent DeAndre Jordan’s decision of what step he wanted to take in his professional basketball career. Jordan was torn between re-signing with his current NBA team, the Los Angeles Clippers, or signing to a new team, the Dallas Mavericks.

Jordan’s uncertainty led to a number of players from both teams taking their part in the big decision to Twitter.

Next thing you know, more players started joining the Twitter emoji fun, even some who weren’t directly involved with the signing. Michael Jordan, often noted as the best basketball player ever, simply tweeted a goat emoji referring to himself as the “Greatest of All Time.”

Sports contracts and trade deals may seem irrelevant to those who are not sports fans, but they involve a high amount of business between managers and agents and seriously large amounts of money. Even ten years ago, you would have to stay tuned to the television or radio to hear the latest news. Now, players are announcing their decisions via social media before broadcasters report it.

Social media plays such a large part of a professional sports team off the field. It is not an easy job to monitor what players post about, but this situation definitely raises the question of if it should be allowed to handle business in this manner.