Wrapping Up Your Internship

As the semester comes to an end, you’re likely beginning end of semester projects and thinking about finals (or procrastinating on thinking about finals). But classes aren't the only things you need to consider finalizing this month. Unless you plan on continuing into the summer, your internship is also close to ending. So here are just a few things you should check off your intern to-do list before heading out of the office one last time.

• Wrap up projects. If you've been given any long-term projects to work on for the semester, begin finalizing them. Whether it’s a master media list or research assignment, put on the finishing touches before sending it over to your supervisor. Go through old to-do lists and notes from the last few weeks to ensure everything has been completed and crossed off. This way, you know for sure there are no longstanding projects uncompleted.
•  Collect your portfolio pieces. Go through all the assignments you've done over the semester and decide which are best for your portfolio. Be sure to save pieces that demonstrate a variation of work that you've done over the course of your internship. This is also a good time to update your resume to reflect what you accomplished.
• Get connected. If you haven’t already, connect on LinkedIn with your supervisors, fellow interns and other members of the office you have worked closely with. This way, your LinkedIn network can reflect your newly extended in-person network. It also allows your supervisors to write recommendations and endorse you for skills you learned during your internship.
• Don’t forget to say thank you! The final and most important step to take at the end of your internship is to write thank you cards (by hand, the old school way) for your supervisors and bosses. Be sure to include what you learned from working with them and your plans to stay in touch. Small thank you gifts don’t hurt either. Who doesn't need a nice Temple coffee mug?

Mistakes You Might be Making at Your Internship

Internships are an ideal opportunity to learn about the industry in real-world experiences. Of course, you won’t know everything about public relations and, as a student, no one expects you to. But there are a few big but easily fixable mistakes you might be making at your internship.

• Not asking questions. You may feel like asking your supervisor a question makes it seem like you don’t know what you’re doing. NOT true! Asking a question when you don’t understand an assignment or an industry term (i.e.: “trade pubs”) shows that you are ready to learn and willing to make sure you get the most from your internship.
• Not paying attention to other departments. Even when a meeting or assignment doesn't concern your department, pay attention to what’s going on. Everything that happens within the organization or company will likely have a trickle-down effect, influencing work you may be given.
• Not asking for feedback. Sometimes supervisors either don’t think to give feedback or simply forget. When an office gets hectic and a press release need to be written quickly, it’s hard for them to remember to stop and work with their intern. Asking for feedback shows that you want to learn and are invested in your internship experience.
• Waiting for assignments. Supervisors may not think to be continually giving you assignments which may leave you sitting, twiddling your thumbs. But speaking up and asking if there’s any additional work, even if it’s for a different department, demonstrates your commitment to your internship. It will also help you learn more about the organization. Running to get coffee for the HR department may not be very prestigious but at least now you know when the HR office is!

Even if you are guilty of a few of these internship sins, they’re simple fixes! An easy way to ensure you aren't making these common intern mistakes is to treat your internship like a full-time, permanent job.

Think Outside the Box: Internships

It's about the time that college students are applying for fall internships, if they haven't already.  I've been looking around at internships suggested by classmates, emailed to me by my advisor, and posted online--the usual places.  Then a coworker at my current internship asked me if I had ever worked at a TV station.  She encouraged me to apply for internships at local television stations because of the experience it would bring me. 

Interning somewhere like a television station is beneficial to aspiring PR pros for a lot of reasons.  You'll learn the ins and outs of broadcasting.  Knowing the jargon and being able to find your way around a station will definitely come in handy. It will also show that you aren't afraid to explore your options.

Some other great places for PR students to intern while they have the chance would be newspapers, marketing firms, and advertising agencies.

By working at a newspaper you're going to gain a lot of great contacts, as well as learn how a newsroom works so that you can more effectively communicate with reporters later on in your PR career.  Working at a marketing firm can provide you with a different way of looking a PR issues since, let's face it, marketing and PR are frequently lumped together.  Finally, working at an ad agency is a great way to dip into the creative side of things.

You'll come out of any of these types of internships with broadened horizons and a little something extra on your resume that other people might not have.  It's important to realize what area of PR you want to focus on and get an internship in that, but it's also important that you think outside the box sometimes.