Advice For The PR Grad – Internships
If there was one thing that all of our PR pros could agree on it would be that experience is important. Grads should have some type of work experience under their belt before applying to their first post-college job. Get an internship, do some volunteer work, something related to the field…anything.
Here’s what the pros had to say in their own words:
Mike Santoro, President of Walker Sands Communications says “Get experience however you can. PR firms always need interns. An internship is a great way of getting in the door, as those internships often turn into full-time jobs. Of course, if nothing comes directly from it, you’ve got resume-ready job experience and some portfolio work that will make your next search even easier. If you can’t get your foot in the door at a firm, look to use your skills elsewhere to build that needed experience. You could help promote a local restaurant or theatre. Or help with internal communications at a corporate job. It’s crucial to tell a success story in that first interview so try and get it wherever you can. My firm is actually currently seeking PR interns for the summer” Chicago PR Summer Internships
“If you haven’t already, get an internship with a government agency or non-profit. You will have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and often have more responsibility than you may get in a corporate environment, plus many of these internship opportunities pay better than entry-level pr agency gigs or corporate jobs. It is great experience that you may not be able to afford to get later on” says JP Clark Regional Communications Manager for Grainger
“The best advice I can offer new PR grads jumping into the shaky job market is to swallow your pride and don’t be afraid to knock on every door, no matter how remote the possibility. When I graduated from college with a degree in corporate communications, I had already completed three PR internships and still struggled to find a job. I ended up calling a regular from the bar I was working at (had to pay the bills!) who owned an advertising agency. He offered me an internship in their PR department, which pained me since I’d already done three internships and now need to make real money, but I enthusiastically accepted and resigned myself to tackling menial and sometimes humiliating tasks cheerfully and thoroughly. And within three months I was a PR account executive running my own accounts. Just keep a positive attitude and be persistent, it pays off. Once your foot is in the door, do everything you can to make a company want to invite you in for good.” ~Katrina Limbaugh, Director of Communications at Zig Ideas
Experience doesn’t necessarily mean Internship. Mary White, author of 101 Successful PR Campaign Tips and co-founder of MTI Business Solutions encourages grads to “consider doing PR oriented volunteer work for a local nonprofit. This will give you a chance to get some practical experience to put on your resume, and to get to know influential people in your community.” If you do land an Internship she says to “Treat the internship as if it is your dream job – what I mean is, take it seriously. Act as if you are making a huge salary and can’t afford to lose the job for anything. Work hard, prove yourself invaluable, and make a positive impression in terms of your attitude, skills, eagerness, etc. You just might find that the internship becomes a job, or at least a few terrific referrals that can help you land the job of your dreams. “
Recent grad Jennifer Seeley knows first hand what she is talking about (she nailed an Assistant Account Exec position at RFL) and has this piece of advice for getting that all important experience. “With this economy and this job market, beggars can’t be choosers. Many of my friends wanted to find jobs in very specialized fields of public relations (ex. sports or entertainment public relations) however, this is such a narrow field, that finding a specific job was impossible for them. At our age, the most important thing we can get is experience in all aspects of public relations. Applying for jobs/internships is a numbers game…send as many resume’s and cover letters out as possible. If you have a solid resume/cover letter, eventually you’ll build interest.” She also suggested job seekers “expect the unexpected. As cliché as this sounds…what I found myself doing after graduation was the complete opposite of what I had always thought I’d wanted. This wasn’t a bad thing at all; it just wasn’t what I had initially expected.”
“Take an internship while still in college! Employers are looking for someone who has taken the initiative while still in college to explore the field and gain experience. A previous internship will also minimize on-the-job training and allow you to impress your employer with your prior achievements. If you don’t already have an internship under your belt when applying for jobs, your resume will be at the bottom of the pile, because so many other students will already be ahead. CampusCompare is actually hiring PR interns right now” ~Brittany Burton, Campus Rep Coordinator…p.s. here’s the link to the job
Alright, we’ve established that having some sort of experience is important. In fact in the PR field it’s closer to a must-have. So go check out those links to internship opportunities – see what we did there…
But don’t worry, even if you’ve graduated without internship experience Meg Fullenkamp, PR Specialist with Captiva Marketing says its not too late “First, don’t be afraid to do a post-grad internship. My first internship was after graduation at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. It was for 2 months, not much pay, but I learned so much and got to work with major editors at publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Dallas Morning News and more! This internship gave me valuable experience that made me more attractive to employers. Secondly, don’t be afraid to do more than one post-grad internship. After my time was over at Opera Theatre, I landed a position as an intern in the marketing communications group at Fleishman Hillard. I had applied at FH twice before and didn’t even get an interview. My internship at Opera Theatre made me extremely attractive on paper and I landed the job. While my six months at FH were crazy, it was great having such a large agency on my resume.”
“Take an internship your senior year or immediately after you graduate. This will give you the opportunity for an on-the-job interview. PR firms look at their internship programs like farm systems. The best talent is brought up to the majors. If you cam excel at the basics, you will be considered for a major league roster spot. Work hard. Work long hours. Do what us asked of you and then some. Be a sponge and learn from the jr staff as well as execs.” ~ Donald Martelli CP with MS&L
Last, but not least, we received 2 pieces of advice that were especially relevant to finding a job when the economy is less than stellar. Mandy Kimmer, Marketing/PR Coordinator for The OC Club also struggled to find a job straight out of school in 1983 and since then has been let go from a few positions because, unfortunately, the PR and Marketing budget is often the first thing to go during an economic downturn. Her advice is to “(1) get some experience as an intern while in school; (2) be patient and try to get in a company that has potential, but (3) don’t wait for the perfect job – you need to be a responsible adult now and get a job, so take what you can find, and keep looking; (4) send resumes even when employed.”
Also, its important to remember that when very few people are hiring an internship may be all that is available. Claire Gibbons, PR Account Director and Exec. Communications Trainer at Rawle Murdy has this to say “Internships are one of the best ways to get in the door at your dream employer. Don’t expect to be paid, which means you’ll need a part-time job as well. But, if you come in everyday with a positive attitude, if you are armed with strategic ideas and suggestions, if you consistently look to add value – even if it’s grunt work – when budgets loosen up, they’re not going to want to let you go.”
Next up in our Advice For PR Grads series: Networking
Tags: advice, internships
