Public relations is one of the roughest, toughest industries out there: it’s high stress and high demand 110% of the time, and you either give it your all, or you get the hell out. If you’re crazy like us, the pressure just makes you work harder, better and faster to accomplish your goals. And if you’re smart like us, you have a stellar team working behind the scenes that not only makes the impossible workload possible, but also boosts morale company-wide.
PR interns are given the incredible opportunity to dip their toes in the water temporarily, with little to no commitment, while gaining insight into the daily operations and special projects they could potentially be tasked with in a more official capacity someday. Even if it’s only for a few months, interns are guaranteed to learn and grow from their positions as they sit tight through a wild ride of hands-on marketing, networking and project coordination. For those interested in pursuing an internship in PR, here are 10 skills you’re guaranteed to learn at any agency.
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Time Management – The term “fashionably late” may be used by the people you interact with but never from your team. You’ll be the first to enter the party and the last one to leave, and you’ll be expected to juggle multiple projects in addition to your obligatory academic, professional and personal responsibilities on top of that.
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Communications – A college degree will only walk you through best practices for discourse in theory; an internship will provide you the opportunities to apply those teachings with members of the industry.
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Resourcefulness – Whether it’s coming up with a hook for your client’s pitch, using six degrees of separation to confirm VIP attendance or finding alternate solutions for event emergencies, PR internships are a crash course in thinking on your feet.
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Industry Jargon – A retainer isn’t an oral device, a pitch deck isn’t a scenario in baseball, and a step and repeat isn’t MTV’s newest dance move.
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Research – From building media lists to writing expertly about an event or brushing up on current affairs and industry news, you’ll gain plenty of experience with investigation and analysis in a fast-paced environment.
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Level-headedness – Public relations is one of the most stressful industries to be in, and often you’ll find yourself running on fumes while working alongside clients, vendors, business affiliates and other professionals. By the end of your internship, you will excel at keeping a level head, an even temper and maintaining a perfect poker face throughout moments that put you to the test.
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Curation – So much of PR is about keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s happening on a local and national level. This includes picking and choosing information that your circles would be interested in and sharing or pitching it in a way that is relevant to your client or brand.
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Management – Whether it’s digital content, vendors, sponsors, staff or volunteers, the world of PR requires all hands on deck at all times. Interns looking for hands-on experience will find themselves thrown with a moment’s notice into ‘sink or swim’ circumstances, which frequently include leadership responsibilities.
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Networking – One of the most valuable skills you will learn as a young professional is how to introduce yourself to others and talk about your business in order to make fruitful connections. While it can be scary to try networking on your own – and unhelpful to attend events with a close friend – networking with a mentor is truly the best way to learn.
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Relationship Building – Once you network and meet people, it’s all about how you build upon those connections. From those encounters, you will initiate the first of many meaningful relationships with other people. Some may become life-long business partners; some may become your company’s biggest fans; and some will even become your best friends.
If you have interned or worked for a PR company, what is the most valuable tool you learned from the job? Share your thoughts in the comments!
