By Heather Wilson, Assistant Account Executive
I am gradually approaching the last few weeks of my final semester as a PR student and one of the things I have really learned from my 16-year college journey is how vital and fundamental internships are before entering the challenging and exciting real word.
As a graduating senior, I have held four different types of internships including entertainment, fashion, agency and nonprofit. There are several things I would like to share with you that you can expect from any PR internship.
- Real world experience: One thing that your PR classes do not teach you is real world experience. At your internship you will be able to observe professionals and see what a PR job really entails. The skills you will learn in your real world experience include utilizing media-centric databases, performing client research, preparing clip reports, coordinating and working special events, and helping with social media projects. All of these will give you a taste of the many skills and communication methods that are required to become a solid PR practitioner.
- Remember you are only an intern: Like it or not, you may have to administer tasks that have nothing to do with PR such as printing, filing, organizing a closet or making name tags. Try to take on these tasks with a positive attitude and remember sometimes you’re just the lowest person on the totem pole!
- Contacts: No matter where you choose to intern, you will meet people, both fellow interns and general co-workers. These people may be able to help you get your foot in the door post-graduation, so it is vital to continue networking once the internship is over.
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