How I was Able to Take on My Own Client as an Intern

This semester I am interning at Diccicco Battista Communications. This having been my first internship ever, I wasn’t expecting to be able to get heavily involved from the get-go. I was very wrong. It seemed as though this internship was unlike the usual file papers, coffee runner types you hear of. About two weeks into my time at DBC, we lost an account manager. Everyone was forced to pick up the extra client responsibilities, as they were divvying them up, an opportunity came up for me to take on a client. Never had I thought I would be able to have my own client as an intern.


So this brings me to my point, if you put yourself out there, you may be surprised at how far you can go. 


Do everything you can. Companies hire you for help. They also cycle through interns on a regular basis so they have gotten underachievers, overachievers, and everything in-between. Toget the full experience of an internship you not only have to overachieve on the assignments they give you, but also surprise them with things they never thought you would, or could, do. This includes little things such as finding a better way to organize all the media clips or creating media lists that can be universal to many clients.

Not only know everybody, but know what everybody is working on. If you know what someone is working on even before they ask, you might know something to point them in the right direction. Volunteer yourself as a resource, if you have an area of expertise that can benefit one of your coworkers, lend a hand. This helps everyone see you are welcome to help everyone, even outside your immediate department. When news of the Facebook timeline came out, I made sure I emailed the head of the media department to forward him an article I found. Although he already knew, it showed that I didn’t just care about my work, or even my department, but the company as a whole.

Take every opportunity you can. My agency does a lot of events, and although I was never required to attend, I went to every one. Seeing my face there showed that I didn’t treat this as an internship, it was a job. When you do things you don’t necessarily have to do, you show even more initiative to gain responsibility. I also attended all the events that the agency had for “bonding” to show I wanted to be a part of the organization.

I have now begun to execute a full media plan for the Art Director’s Club of Philadelphia with my name on it. For once, I can walk out of an internship truly showing that I created something, that I wasn’t just a shadow behind another account manager. That has got to be one of the best feelings I have ever had, and now know how to really flourish in this industry. Your internship does not expect you to be perfect, but when you do everything in your power to be, plus some, you never know what the reward could be. The purpose of your internship is to help you, but you never know how much you can help them, even beyond normal intern work.


This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jessica Ross.