As you venture through your undergrad years in communications and public relations, you are exposed to so much fascinating and helpful material that will academically enrich you. By the end of your junior year, you will have a greater understanding of public relations. By this time, you will be ready for your first internship. This is an exciting time for each student, as it gives them a sneak peek into working in the PR industry. You will meet people in the industry, you will be doing work that is helpful to the company and yourself, and you are building up your resume. Internships are a lot of fun, if you put in a great work ethic and have a great attitude. You are most certainly going to need an internship or two, so it is important to seek out what interests you and what will benefit you as a you near the real world.
My first internship was a marketing and social media internship at a facilities management company called STAR Building Services. I never envisioned myself working for this type of company, but looking back, I am so happy I accepted the offer. I was able to learn more about marketing and PR, work with fantastic people, and learn about an industry that I never would have imagined of. I was assigned to create LinkedIn posts for the company, along with other office tasks. I wanted to learn as much as possible during my time at STAR, and I demonstrated my eagerness to learn. This allowed my boss and coworkers to view me as a reliable person and one who is fit for the job. Image is everything, and when you show up to work everyday ready to learn and be productive, you will open up many doors to your future. I learned in this internship that it is not always about where you work, it’s the experience you’re gaining as an intern.
Public relations offers so many opportunities for internships in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area. You can work for small or large companies, doing an array of work. I enjoyed learning more about marketing and social media, and it has greatly elevated my experience and readiness for a career in the PR industry. Other areas within PR are branding, promotion, event planning, or even one of my specialty’s, social media. Look for internships that have work and tasks that interest you, don’t always fixate on what the company does. I never knew a small facilities management company could teach me so much, and I was pleasantly surprised. Keep an open mind for your first internship because it is your first step into the real world, and it is one exciting time for students to partake in!