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.
No comments:
Post a Comment