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| Murray Lace |
Intern: In·tern, noun.
An advanced student or graduate usually in a professional field gaining
supervised, practical experience.
Fresh out of college, public relations degree under your
belt, headed off to your dream j… internship? Today, it’s the norm in this
industry to spend your first post-graduate year as an intern, learning the ins
and outs of the PR world. An internship is a way to learn more about your area
of study than you ever did in college and even more about yourself.
Here are a five sure-fire ways to maximize your internship
experience and impress future employers along the way:
Ooze confidence
Being shy never gets anyone anywhere. If you go into a
meeting and act like you’re scared to death, the client is likely to be scared
to death about your assisting on his or her account. Sure, your input is likely
not needed during the business portion of the meeting, but hold your own on the
front end. Walk in there with your head held high and offer a “Hi, I’m Susie.
It is so nice to meet you!”
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| Photo Courtesy to Nasser Almulhim |
Be attentive
It’s no secret that Generation Y is technology obsessed. We
often spend more time on our phones than we do communicating face-to-face. If
you’re at work, put it away. Is your boss checking hers during a meeting?
Probably. She runs a business, and the likelihood of the head honcho needing to
be reached for an emergency is much higher than it is for you. You can wait.
Proofread
Chances are, you will be doing a lot of writing—blogs,
social media, pitches, press releases. You name it, you’re writing it, and with
that comes great responsibility. Before you turn over an assignment to a
superior, proofread. Then, proofread again. Put it away for a while if possible
and read it a third time.
Do your homework
Thought those days were over? Think again. Doing your
homework before your public relations journey starts should be top priority.
Being able to spout off client information during your interview to get the
position and during your first interactions with colleagues will show them how
much you value the opportunity you have been given.
Initiative and
guidance
At times, your duties as an intern can fall into a grey
area. Have you done too much? Have you done too little? It’s very important to
balance taking initiative on projects and taking guidance from your superiors.
You want to impress them by incorporating some of your own ideas, but be sure to
include their ideas as well, if they have given you any.
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