How to stand our during your PR internship
As if landing your PR internship was enough of a feat, being a standout PR intern is the next challenge that you can look forward to once you begin working with a public relations firm. However, with a little daily finesse and a savvy work ethic, you’ll be able to stand out and make a name for yourself as a reliable, no-nonsense addition to a PR team. Don’t believe us? Read on for our three top tips for leaving your legacy as a standout PR intern!
Put in the time, and then some.
Although it may seem like enough to work from 9 to 5 and then leave your tasks at the office, going the extra mile by offering to tie up loose ends before leaving for the day and attending optional client events will prove your dedication and interest to your supervisors. More business-related experiences will only add to your credibility in the future, and make for great talking points during interviews!
Make a point to have face time with clients.
Emailing back and forth on a daily basis with clients is expected when working in PR, but landing genuine face time with clients can be hard to come by. How do you overcome this? Offer to tag along to client meetings to take notes for your boss, or request a client meeting shadow day. Not only will it be a great opportunity to meet the clients that you’re serving, but you’ll also garner important insight on how meetings are run, how client requests are handled and more.
Have a proper send-off.
Just because your internship comes to an end, it doesn’t mean that your work is over! Tie up loose ends before leaving and write each of your supervisors a thoughtful, sincere thank you note to wrap up your PR internship experience. The next step? Make a point to check in with your former supervisors twice a year to see how they are doing, and provide them with intermittent updates on your professional life. Not only is it a professional courtesy to keep in touch, but you never know what opportunities may come out of it!
By: Lindsay Shoemake
Lindsay Shoemake is the founder and editor of career-lifestyle blog That Working Girl, which aims to inspire women toward success in the PR, advertising and media realm. When she’s not working, you can find Lindsay exploring her neighborhood, the Virginia-Highlands, in Atlanta and catching up with friends over a great cup of coffee.
