The First Internship: Testing the Waters

Catie Cannon

“Top 10 Intern Mistakes.” This is the title of the first article I came across when researching advice for summer interns. At first, I thought I would just write a blog post similar to it, listing the best ways to impress your boss and coworkers and build your resume. But, after reading article after article that said ALL the things that interns usually do wrong, and how they really OUGHT to act during their first real job experience, I started to get a little defensive; and I began to disagree with whoever created such belittling and negative lists.

I have a few problems with articles like this one. First, it’s just a list of what interns should not do. Basically, this tells you all the things that bosses hate and that many newly employed college kids tend to mess up. As I read through “Top 10 Intern Mistakes,” I turned to the other intern in our office and said, “I’m pretty sure I do all of these things.” Obviously, I didn’t feel great about this at first. In my eyes, I have been doing a pretty good job so far in my internship -- at least I’ve been trying my best. But as I thought a little more about these so-called “mistakes” that I was failing to avoid, I began to get a different idea.

The idea is this: Internships are primarily a time for learning. They are a time for learning not only about the field you are interested in, but also about yourself. In my experience, learning is best done in a comfortable environment where you feel free to fail but also have a great desire to succeed. Now, how am I supposed to learn from this internship if I’m just afraid of messing up or doing something that could land me on a “typical intern mistakes” list? Well, it would be hard. 

So, I’m not going to give you a list of what you CAN’T do because it would ultimately contradict the purpose of your internship. Rather, I want to share a little bit about the knowledge I have gained thus far at Obsidian and my take on the importance of internships.

Since I am just about to enter my sophomore year at The University of Texas and have only taken two communications-related classes, I don’t have a whole lot of PR experience under my belt. However, this internship has not only let me apply the small amount of knowledge I gained from last year, but it has also helped me to gain firsthand experiences which are already proving to be infinitely more valuable than anything taught in a classroom. 

People always say that you don’t know if you like something until you try it, and this is certainly true with a job. A career is something you have for the rest of your life, and to me, it needs to line up with who you truly are and what you most love doing. Some people have known what they wanted to do since they were in kindergarten. Others, like me, still aren’t entirely sure. That’s why internships are so important. The only way to figure out if a job lines up with your interests, skills and personality is to give it a try. Note: While tasks you complete as an intern will not be exactly what you do later on in your career, you will certainly have the opportunity to watch, observe and ask questions of others in the workplace who are doing what you could be for the rest of your working life. 

So, get out there and see what you love doing (and what you don’t)!

Solving the Staring Problem

Mary Catherine Banister

I have had 20/20 vision for my entire life. No glasses, no contacts, no vision problems whatsoever. However, last summer I began working two jobs that included sitting at a desk and working on the computer for 10 hours a day. Once classes began in the fall, I continued working at my PR internship three days a week, where I continued to spend long periods of time looking at a computer screen.

Eventually, about two months ago, I started getting horrible headaches, and it hurt to read anything on the computer screen without squinting. I knew my body, and I knew it was time to go to the doctor and get it figured out. As I suspected, I needed glasses. Thankfully, they are only necessary while I’m sitting at my computer, and the eye doctor filled me in on what I had been doing wrong at work: not giving my eyes a break.

Now, as I’ve started my full-time job at Obsidian, I have been trying my best to keep my eyes healthy while at my desk. Glasses or not, I would suggest that everyone who has a desk job and spends much of their time at a computer follow these tips:

• Look around: For every 30 minutes you spend staring at the bright computer screen, take a few minutes to fix your gaze on something else. Look out the window, focus on something on the other side of the office or take a minute to organize your desk. Just a couple minutes away from the screen can make a huge difference.
• Write it out: If you have a story to write or a blog post to brainstorm, skip typing it out and use a pen and paper. Write an outline or a bulleted list the old-fashioned way – it’ll save you some screen time and your eyes will thank you!
• Get up and walk: Make sure to take a stretch/stand/walk break every once in a while. Sitting at the computer for hours on end can make the day seem endless and, to be honest, isn’t healthy. Walk to a coworker’s desk to ask a question, head to the back to refill your water bottle or step over to the shop next door for a coffee. Little breaks throughout the day will relieve the pressures from sitting and staring at a screen during the workday.

Although mine was an extreme case, most people who work at computers experience some sort of eye exhaustion and stress. Make sure to keep yourself healthy during the workday – your productivity will increase as your eye strain and headaches decrease. Sounds like a win-win solution to me!

What keeps me up at night?

Crissy Lintner

A PR person’s brain never stops. Never. No, really. Never stops. I guess technically, one’s brain never really stops, so let me qualify that statement: a PR executive’s thoughts are always racing – and generally, we’re OK with that (see Kerri’s recent post “Why I would do my job for free”). But what is it that keeps us up at night? I thought it might be fun to clue everyone in. Welcome to a night in Crissy’s brain at bedtime:

Wish I hadn’t had that last cup of coffee at my 4 p.m. meeting… I hope my client got the email I sent with questions from the reporter. It’s not like him not to respond by end of day. Hope he’s OK… what if it went to his spam folder? Need to text him... Why isn’t Garden & Gun getting back to me? I really need to call them tomorrow… again. Or email. Or find a new reporter. It’s such a great story idea… I can’t believe Max turned 3 years old last week! Time is really flying… Has it really been two years since we moved to Dallas? I wish Granite Properties hadn’t brought that cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes to celebrate our office anniversary. No, actually, I’m glad they brought the cake. It was fantastic… I really need to get up early and run. Resetting alarm clock for 6 a.m. Need to remember to write that action plan for Urban Rio tomorrow… Is tomorrow Wednesday or Thursday? Dang it, Thursday. I have to reset my alarm clock for 5 a.m. so I can run then get to my networking meeting… Why is my husband already asleep and I’m just laying here? I feel like I got nothing done on my to-do list today… Oh! I just had a great idea for Heroes Project’s fundraising campaign… must email Tiffany now so I don’t forget… Oh good, my client emailed me back… OK. Need. Sleep. Now… Need to edit the news release Tiffany sent for Promise House first thing in the morning. After my networking meeting. After my call after the meeting... Maybe I need to do it before my meeting? Resetting alarm clock for even earlier… OMG. I am seriously only going to get four hours of sleep at this rate… What if I sleep through my alarm clock…?

Welcome to my nightly world of chaos. It seems the best ideas and running through of to-do lists only happen when the head hits the pillow! And just to prove I’m not the only crazy PR person at Obsidian, here are the things that keep a few of my colleagues up at night – proving that our clients and the love of PR really do rule our brains.

Lauren:

Lingering tasks; story opportunities or various projects that didn't go as planned; having a massive to-do list; feeling like I'm behind on something; the realization on Sunday night that #MondayIsComing…

  

Mary Catherine:

Wondering if I forgot to do something; thinking about potential ideas for clients and hoping I remember them the next day; staying up late watching/reading the news to feel prepared for the next day; making mental to-do lists…

Ali:

I think the obvious answer to that question is when I feel unprepared for something at work, whether because something came up last minute or other things got in the way of an outstanding deadline. If I've made mistakes at work, those have kept me up. I think about how that mistake reflected on me and the firm in general. Also, I think about how it affects the client and their audiences.

Kim:

Is XYZ task "done"? Will my clients renew their retainers? Is my client happy with my performance? What am I missing in this event promotion? How else can I pitch client/event/news? There's so much to do; can I keep everything afloat? Am I doing enough for my clients? Did I get back to all the media that responded to my pitch? Will my contest/award nomination for my client win?

Sarah L.:

Deadlines, busy days, having to wake up early the next morning and thinking I’ll miss my alarm, waiting on a response for an important email from media, clients or co-workers…

Kelli:

Deadlines (especially recurring ones), when a client freaks out about something - even if I've rectified the situation by the end of the day. Same fear as Sarah L. - potentially missing my alarm. And this is not just on workdays! I got less sleep on the Friday night before my sister's wedding than I did before my own! My alarm was set only 10 minutes earlier than it is on a normal work day, and I was up two hours early afraid I'd missed it. 

(Editor’s note: Alarm clocks cause anxiety.)

Thomas:

Tasks I didn’t get to that day…

(Editor’s note: our male colleagues’ brains operate very differently from the female brains.)

Tiffany:

Social media editorial calendars, event postings, deadlines all at the same time, distributing international news releases, watching the nightly news (late-night news)... 

Sarah B.:

All the things mentioned in this article.

Now, what keeps you up at night?

Ease In or Jump?

Brittany Bales

 Whether I am relaxing by the pool or lying out on the beach, I always find it interesting to sit back and watch what method people choose to take the plunge into the freezing cold water ahead. Are you a jump-right-in/no-strings-attached type, or do you take the ease-right-in-until-completely-comfortable approach?

Personally, I go for the jump-right-in approach. I want to spend the least amount of time suffering and shivering through the uncomfortable cold as I can.

As a recent graduate of Mississippi State University, my intention was to stick with the same philosophy I have always had. But this time, it was not cold water I was delving into, it was the new, and sometimes cold, corporate world. By jumping right into a marketing/public relations internship directly after graduation in my hometown of Jackson, Miss., my head-first approach seemed to be panning out perfectly. However, three months of non-stop learning and preparation seemed like enough time for me, and I was ready for the “real world.” I wanted to launch into a full-time public relations position and that is exactly what I planned for. A few weeks later, I was fortunate enough to be offered the public relations director position at a well-known company in Jackson. Again, I was a little nervous but ready to jump right in to my new role.

Although this story may seem pretty predictable beyond this point, what you do not know is that in the middle of the interview process for my big job I got engaged to be married. As thrilled as I was to take the next step in my personal life, I knew this meant making a sacrifice in the career I was about to embark on. I now had a choice to make: jump into a full-time career in Jackson until marriage or ease into the public relations world once again in Memphis, Tenn., where my fiancé was in school and where we would soon settle down. After much prayer and support from friends and family, I decided to turn down the corporate world in Jackson for a public relations internship in Memphis.

As it turns out, easing into the Memphis corporate world through this internship was the best decision I could have made. Yes, beginning a second internship after college may seem like more of the ease-in approach but, the new city, state, company and friends that have come along with it has just enough of the jump-in factor I need. So, whatever your method of madness is, do not be afraid to try a different approach sometimes. You might just be surprised at the result.

Why I would do my job for free

Kerri Guyton

The saying “nothing in this life is free” is not lost on me. My parents used this phrase often, and I have passed along this life lesson to my children on many occasions. I am the bookkeeper in my family, so I watch the money that my husband and I both work hard to bring into our household fly quickly back out to our cost of living. So, the reality is that it really isn’t possible for either one of us to work for free. However, I have always considered the level of enjoyment of any job more important than the salary, and therefore, have asked myself on many occasions, “Would I do this job for free?” And these days, I can honestly say “yes.”

How do I know? Well, I can tell you three key reasons right off the bat:

• I’m good at what I do; I was meant to be in PR.
• I’m thinking about work even when I’m not at work.
• I honestly can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.

One of my key character traits – what most people who know me well would say about me – is that I am determined to be good at whatever it is I’m doing. I want that adjective in front of all of my descriptors – a good wife, a good mom, a good account rep, a good manager. And, if I can’t “get there,” then I don’t put time toward it. I am a pretty good tennis player, so I’ve kept that activity in my playbook (when I have time, which has been a while). However, I was not good at golf, so a few times on a course was all my husband got out of me.

When it comes to my career, though, I have a lot of confidence in my abilities. I’ve got a knack for PR thinking, strategizing and planning. I have a way with words. I love to write. I love to communicate. And, I’m an idea generator by nature – by God’s blessing. I’ve done great things through my career at Obsidian, and the satisfaction of being able to do something I’m good at every day is priceless.

Additionally, it’s that innate nature of analytical thinking, strategizing, planning and idea generation that keeps me “on the job” even when I’m not in the office. I often roll around ideas while driving, doing laundry, cleaning house or sitting by the pool with my kids. And nearly everywhere I go, I soak up influences that I can relate to different PR opportunities – from watching or engaging in human interaction to observing the many communication/marketing messages that are branded all around us. I can’t help it; I’m “on the PR clock” nearly 24/7. I would do it even if I didn’t get paid to.

And finally, I have to admit that there are days that my job seems a little too much, even for me. PR can be a very stressful profession. It’s No. 5 on the Forbes Most Stressful Jobs of 2013, behind enlisted military personnel, military general, firefighter and commercial airline pilot. So, I would be lying if I said that I don’t use the same analytical, solutions-driven thinking to ponder other job options on those long and tiring days. But, I honestly can’t ever think of anything I would rather do.

So, with all that being said, I do love my job enough to do it for free. Should the day ever come when “everything in this life is free,” you’ll still find me working in PR.

Desk Etiquette

Sarah Lichterman

My intention for this blog post was to write about the 10 must-have items on your desk. However, while researching that topic, I came across a more interesting subject to write about: what not to have on your office desk. 

When you think about office desk etiquette, you may have only thought about keeping a tidy, organized desk for aesthetic purposes. However, what your desk says about you is more than just a stray Post-it note or pen. Even though your desk may be the only place in your office that you can call your own, you have to realize that when you are absent, your desk is still representing you. So, beware of the items you display. Here are several items that should not be on your desk by the end of this blog post according to U.S. News & World Report.

Racy photos 
Even though your officemate is your best friend, your boss probably is not. You should strive to have your peers think of you in all aspects of your life as the classy businessman or businesswoman that you are at the office. They don’t need to see a snapshot of you at your best friend’s drunken bachelor or bachelorette party. 

Goofy figurines 
It’s OK if you love cats, Barbie dolls or snow globes, but don’t let them hinder your reputation at the office. Choose one small figurine that can serve a purpose on your desk, such as a paperweight or tape dispenser, to show your affection for your collection. Keep the rest at home.

Fan shrines 
Your office is not the place to show off your love of comic books, movie stars or sports teams. It is all right to have some memorabilia, but limit it to one or two items. Break time is not the appropriate time for a fan club meeting.

Sneak peak at Sarah's desk.

Children’s artwork 

Having a couple of small pieces of art or cards from your children is charming. Having your whole wall covered in crayon drawings is excessive. Take the remaining items and put them on your fridge at home.

Political or religious items 
The Bible or a vote-for-president pen on your desk is not what I am talking about here. You can have representation of what you believe in, but don’t display items that give off proselytizing messages or that will offend anyone.

Fragrance diffusers 
Be a good neighbor, and don’t have scented reed sticks or potpourri on your desk. A scent that you think is pleasurable may smell bad to a coworker. Also, someone may be allergic to the scent. You don’t want to be known as the smelly one, do you? 

Leftovers 
It’s common for those with a desk job to eat snacks or lunch at their desk. Just remember to clean up after yourself and take your leftovers home with you. Leftovers can cause odors, or worse, bugs. 

In my opinion, most of these items are common sense. However, with the hustle and bustle of working hard, it can be difficult to find time to take a step back from your desk and look at what it says about you.

You don’t know what you don’t know.

Kelli Eason Brignac

This month, I’ll have been in the workforce full-time for five years. And how that time has flown. I still learn something new every day. And when I look back, I realize how much of what I do didn’t even exist while I was in college. They certainly didn’t teach it in the classroom. 

This blog post is not a knock on academia. I did learn a lot from my professors at LSU. But not much can replace real world work experience. So, if you’re about to graduate (or if you’ve already graduated), and you’re looking for a job, what do you need to know? Here are a few things I value in our interns. 

Get an internship! Actually, get multiple internships.  

Last year, 62 percent of college graduates in the United States had completed at least one internship or co-op prior to graduation. That means they are entering the workforce with valuable real world experience that will give them a competitive edge over applicants without the same credentials. 

But, in my opinion, you shouldn’t complete just one internship. In many cases, you can be paid for your work, meaning you can dedicate more hours to it without having to worry about picking up shifts somewhere else. If you’re working toward a career in PR, I’d suggest interning at an agency or two, at a nonprofit and at a company or other for-profit association. Get as many internships as you can to diversify your experience. Believe me, the work is different everywhere, and more experience can only help you in the future! 

Ask questions. 

I’m not going to say there are no dumb questions. But, no matter what you’re doing or where you’re working, asking questions can only help you. This is especially true in an agency setting where clients may do things differently. 

Read. Read. Read more. When you think you’ve read enough, keep reading. 

In our business, we have to keep up with what’s going on. In fact, my husband makes a game of trying to tell me things that happened in the news. If he knows something before I do, he wins. But it doesn’t happen often, because I read SO much news! 

On top of the news, things change so rapidly that you have to keep learning. My mom, who has worked in higher education for almost 30 years, is continually frustrated by how long it takes for information to show up in textbooks. By the time something shows up on the radar, is sufficiently researched by the people writing the books and is finally printed…it’s out of date. Let’s consider social media in this example. If we relied on textbooks to teach us everything we know about it, we would probably just now be introducing college students to Xanga, AIM and MySpace, all of which are essentially obsolete for most marketers at this point. Now there’s a throwback for you. 

Adapt. 

Everyone does things differently. That’s why I recommend getting multiple internships at a variety of different companies. Working at an agency, for example, will help you learn to multi-task, balance your time and adjust to doing things five different ways for five different clients. But, working at a corporation, nonprofit or member-owned association may be different. 

Don’t assume that your way is better. You might have to change things in order to fulfill the needs of the organization you’re working for. Listen to the people around you and remember – you don’t know what you don’t know! 

The juice was definitely worth the squeeze

Kim Morrison

As I stood there in the middle of FedExForum about this time last year with my fellow University of Memphis undergrads and we all moved our tassels from the right to the left side of our caps, my eyes started to well up with tears and it hit me, “This is it!”

The road to that point was filled with oh so many obstacles for me. I chose to return to school as an older, non-traditional student. I quit a good-paying job to return to school to end up job searching for a year longer than I banked on. My father suffered a debilitating stroke. I experienced being cheated on for the first time. I had my own health issues by breaking one ankle, having a stroke, then breaking the other ankle, all in the name of roller derby. I moved three times. And, I went through it all while balancing work, school, the rebuilding of our PRSSA chapter and the joys of life in general.

All through this though, I kept my eye on the prize. I didn’t initiate this life path to be thrown off or get distracted by something else! I was ready to get my bachelor’s degree. That’s what I set out to do, and I was bound and determined to make it happen one way or another!

I wasn’t a perfect student. I worked hard, but of course, I had moments where I slacked off or I simply got overwhelmed and something had to give. However, I made sure my work and grades were in order before making such a decision.

And at the end of it all, I was so beyond stoked to be at that point, to look behind at the past several years and be able to say, “I dealt with that; I survived that; and despite life’s best efforts, I made it through.”

So, the lessons I took away from all that was: (1) Regardless of the situation, you always have a choice; (2) With perseverance, you can make it through any situation; and (3) College is hard, but in the end, it’s totally worth it!

After a year in the workforce, I look back on what I’ve accomplished and all of the wonderful clients I’ve worked with over the past year. I’ve promoted large and small scale shows; garnered morning show appearances; seen my photos appear in numerous local publications; arranged features for clients in TV, print and online outlets; and managed meetings with the heads of some of Memphis’ well-known companies and nonprofits. And, it’s all thanks in part to the degree I worked so hard for. So, I claimed it a year ago, and I’ll say it again today, the juice was definitely worth the squeeze!