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What did you do with your summer internship?
Now that we have blown past the Labor Day holiday, summer is unofficially over. From the look of the tweets of those I follow on Twitter, posts on Facebook and those I talk with in person, folks gained a ton of knowledge and experience from their summer internships.
Whether you travelled hundreds of miles or worked ungodly hours, you (hopefully) learned a few things. But what did you REALLY learn? Will you apply the skills you picked up this summer or just forget all about it?
Here are a five suggestions to make sure you don’t lose all that valuable experience.
1. Keep in touch with your internship leaders. Drop a line and ask about getting together for lunch or just touch base to keep your name fresh in their heads. I’m not talking about bugging them about possible openings every other week, though. Do ask for advice about your resume, cover letter, etc. Keep the lines of communications open.
2. Compile your work and add it to the portfolio. If you were asked to work on a specific part of a project, then put it to your portfolio. Make certain you include the finished product to show your contributions on a wider scale. When it comes time for that first official job interview, you want to show a prospective employer that you’ve got what it takes!
3. Practice what was preached. You certainly learned more of what to do and not to do in public relations and marketing. Don’t just sit on it, apply it. If you don’t blog, start one. Not involved in your school’s PRSSA chapter? Join. The only way you’ll continue to hone your skills is if you stay active and grow as a practitioner.
4. Be active in Twitter chats. This may be a given for many, but if you are an aspiring PR/marketing pro, you need to join in on these valuable chats. There’s #U30Pro, #PRStudChat, and #journchat to name a few. There are many current pros who take part and they are more than happy to offer advice and guidance.
5. Finish strong! PR and marketing pros never get anywhere by just giving 50%. Whether you are a junior or senior (freshmen and sophomores, too), your grades are of the utmost importance. I’m always impressed when I see a new grad’s resume with wonderful experience AND good grades. It shows the prospective employer that you have both book and job smarts. Keep that in mind.
Don’t just take what you did this summer and pass it off as “just credits.” That internship could just lead to your first gig. It did for me.
What advice would you offer? Let me know in the comments section.
What inspires me? You!
Lauren Novo is a senior at Florida State University with a double major in Media/Communication Studies and Creative Writing. Additionally, she serves as the staff writer for Trusteria Services, a regional company in Tallahassee, and as a public relations staff assistant for RB Oppenheim Associates, a local PR agency. Connect with her on Twitter, LinkedIn and read her blog, Gen-Y PRogress: Lauren Novo’s PR Journey.
Last week, Jason asked what inspired me. He invited me to write a guest post, highlighting why it is I’m always giving back to others, through my blog in particular.
I was flattered. But also taken by surprise. Jason is the one who continuously shares my posts; who leaves encouraging comments on my blog; who asks how my week is going and offers to help in any way he can; who recently contributed to my “Art of” series; and who dropped everything he was doing to write me a glowing letter of endorsement for an award entry.
And he thinks I give back? He wants to know what inspires me?
What inspires me… is all of you. All you professionals who take the time out of your chaotic lives to pay it forward to the next generation of PR pros.
Seriously, think about it. Deirdre Breakenridge is recognized as one of the industry’s greatest thought leaders. She’s written highly acclaimed books and owns her own company. Valerie Simon is a vice president at BurrellesLuce and freelance writer for The Examiner.
Do you think either of these two women needed to start #PRStudChat – a monthly Twitter chat between PR students and professionals—to build up their resumes and portfolios? I doubt it. They have already “made it.” What they are doing is above and beyond. They are selflessly giving back as devoted mentors.
There’s also Arik Hanson, an APR-certified professional who has participated in various local and national online initiatives. Most recently, he teamed up with Valerie to start the “Help a PR Pro Out” (HAPPO) campaign. He has a job. In fact, he owns his own business. He doesn’t need to concern himself with helping PR job seekers connect with employers. It’s a choice. An admirable choice.
I could go on and on, but you get the point.
So yes, I do my best to give back too. I use my blog to help my peers when opportunities arise. As an extension of the HAPPO initiative, I’ve started a “PR Job Seeker of the Week” series every Friday. But so what?
I’m only 21 years old. I’m a senior at Florida State University for another month, but a student always. I’ve got a long way to go. There is much more I can and will do, and I have my many mentors—both near and far—to thank for that.
That’s what inspires me.
What inspires you?
