How to Stand Out at Your Internship: A Cheat Sheet

As young public relations professionals, we always try our best to make a great impression on the employees of the companies that we work for as interns . However, in order to secure stunning letters of recommendation and LinkedIn endorsements, it is important to become the intern your internship coordinators will talk about for semesters to come!

Becoming a stellar intern isn't as difficult as it may seem ,but it does require more than just sitting at your cubicle:

Ask Questions: An internship is as much a learning experience as it is an opportunity to lend your talents to a real-world company. When you are surrounded by professionals who are living your dreams, it can be beneficial to not only ask them questions when they come up about the work you are doing, but also ask them about your dream position and what advice they could give to someone who wishes to follow in their footsteps. Not only will this give you more of an understanding of your career field, but it will show your co-workers that you are serious about your professional life.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for More: It is common for an overseer at an internship to give an intern a bit less work than they are used to in order to see how much they can complete in a day. If the work load is too small and you finish early, don’t be afraid to ask for more. Your coordinator will be impressed by your confidence, and you will be able to get more experience from your internship.

Make Every Second Count: It can be tempting on a slow day to check your social networks or do homework at your internship, but it isn't worth it. You aren't there for downtime, you are there to learn and get as much professional experience as possible. If your coordinator is unable to send you any more assignments at the moment (see above), create your own work! Perhaps while you are researching ideas to improve a company’s social media platforms, you will find something that your coordinator or boss will thank you for later.

Remember, a semester internship is only a few months long, so it is important to use your time wisely and make a great impression on your co-workers and coordinators every day you are in the office.

What a Break-Up Can Teach You About PR

We will all go through a break-up at some point in our lives. It’s the time when chocolate and sappy movies can be the proper bandage for a hurting heart. However, for PR professionals, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from this trying life event.

If looked at from a professional standpoint, a break-up can be used as a way to develop yourself professionally:

1.     Strengthen your personal brand: After a break-up, it’s important to figure out who you are as an individual without the influence of another person. This is a great time to determine your strengths and reflect upon your successes. After making a mental list of your great qualities and abilities, put them to use by including them in your personal brand!

2.     Develop your understanding of social media: Sometimes, less is more regarding social media, especially after a break-up. Steer clear of answering the status prompt “what’s on your mind?” and refrain from sharing personal anger and emotions over Twitter.   Not only will this make for a better emotional recovery, but it will also teach you to be hesitant towards what you post on social media in general. After a break-up, you will know how to take a step back and determine whether or not you should post that link or video on your company’s social media accounts.

3.     Learn how to better manage stress: PR professionals know the importance of developing ways to cope with stressful situations. When a break-up occurs, a tremendous amount of pressure and stress can follow. Between learning how to control your emotions and answering painful questions from relatives, it can be a lot to handle with a straight face. However, learning how to push through a trying time will prepare you for other stressors, including those at work.

Although a break-up can be traumatic, it can positively affect your professional life. Remember to stay strong, and take advantage of the professional development tools at your disposal!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Maggie Wurst. 

How To Strengthen Press Relations

It’s no secret that public relations representatives and journalists need each other to complete their jobs effectively.

Without journalists, public relations reps wouldn’t have anywhere to send press releases advertising their client’s upcoming events. On the other hand, if a journalist wasn’t getting any press releases, what events would he or she write about for their publications?

For most public relations professionals, tips on writing a great press release are picked up early in news writing and media classes. However, one thing that isn’t taught is how to form long lasting relationships with journalists at local publications.

In order to form these relationships with media members, it can be beneficial to look into these practices:

1. Send press releases well in advance- Like public relations professionals, journalists have tight schedules. It is important to keep in mind that many press members have their schedules worked out a month or more in advance, so sending that press release a week or two before an important event may not yield a strong press turnout. Sending a press release as early as possible will not only increase the chance of media coverage, but it will also show local press contacts that you respect their schedules.

2. Be Responsible- not desperate- with follow ups- It is always a good idea to follow up if a reporter has not responded to a press release you sent a week ago, however, reaching out multiple times within a few days is not going to get the event covered or pitch read. Often times, journalists’ email inboxes are swamped with press releases each week, so making a single phone call a week after it has been sent is a good idea.

3. Give information, not opinions- As most public relations professionals know, press releases should be concise and may include quotes and background information for good measure. However, journalists want the facts, not opinionated adjectives that describe the event. Including these words would only waste space and time when a journalist is trying to read through a press release.

Sticking to these strategies will show journalists that we as public relations folk respect their positions.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Maggie Wurst.