Internships can be a sensitive topic for most. They want you to have experience, but won’t give you the opportunity to get the experience, so you usually find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have definitely encountered this problem along with so many of my peers. So, when you do land that positon you need make the most of every minute.
I landed my first Public Relations related internship at JMG-PR in lower Manhattan this past summer. JMG-PR is a “full service public relations agency with a specialization in the lifestyle and entertainment industries”. What this means is that the company focuses to promote awareness and engagement for their clients by pitching placements to the media to publish. This is executed in many ways with use of special events, social media campaigns, feature articles, and more.
My job as a summer intern consisted of researching, creating media lists, press clips, and face sheets. As well as assisting with the company’s media relations, event planning, creating talking points for interviews, and formulating social media campaigns. It was a very busy summer to say the least. No day was just like the other and I never knew what I would be faced to tackle until I came into the office that morning. The demand shifted from client to client based on their needs and the timeliness of their requests. Due to the fact that JMG-PR is a fairly new agency, my internship was unique to others at larger and more established firms.
I was able to form a close relationship with my boss and CEO, Jenna Guarneri, that positively impacted my summer experience. She presented herself with such poise and grace in every situation she faced, that it motivated me to work diligently and rise to her expectations. She was so willing to teach me all that she’s learned throughout her career thus far and allowed me to apply my knowledge to be very hands-on throughout the internship. Being able to physically write press summaries and edit them alongside Jenna was more beneficial to me than all that I’ve learned in the classroom so far.
I appreciate this experience so much and cannot wait for what’s to come, I’ve gotten a taste of the “real world” and I like it. For those who are looking for their first of many internships, my advice to you is to be persistent, work your connections, and do your research. My advice for those already in the position is to ask questions pertaining to your tasks or even personal questions to get to know your coworkers and superiors, always be early, and be self-aware, because you’re communicating all the time and you never know who’s watching.
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Tyler Nolley is a PR enthusiast double majoring in Communication and Spanish with a minor in Advertising at UD. Connect with her on Twitter: @tyler_nolley and LinkedIn.
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