Danielle August 16, 2011 | 11:55:04
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Top 5 Things I Learned As A PR Intern

This is a guest post by our great summer intern, Ashley G:

It seems like just yesterday this small town girl took on the city that never sleeps! Four months later, I have a lot to share about what I’ve learned as a public relations intern at New York-based PR firm Crenshaw Communications.

Stay on top of current events. I’m a news fanatic. I love keeping up with local, international, and celebrity news. Here at Crenshaw, my love for everything news actually helped generate media placements for a client. I crafted a pitch around the fact that one in eight New Yorkers is of Asian descent to promote the anchor of a new mall development here,  Asian food emporium Sky Foods.

The benefits of networking. Never miss an opportunity to connect with someone new. Crenshaw provided me with an amazing opportunity to participate in the PRISM (Public Relations Internship Summer in Manhattan) Program. It allowed me to meet fellow student interns working in the industry, as well as knowledgeable public relations and media professionals. By getting to know these individuals, and hearing what they had to say, I’m leaving this summer more confident than ever about what I should expect after graduation.

Don’t wait for the work to come to you. If you finish a project, ask for another. The only way to prove to your co-workers (and to yourself) that you are cut out for the whirlwind world of PR is to seek assignments regularly. You only have a few short months – make them count.

Keep calm and carry on. So your desk is getting cluttered by the post-it reminders of projects due — instead of stressing, I’ve learned to “keep calm and carry on.” At the end of the day, when you’ve completed all of your work on time, you’ll leave the office feeling accomplished.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Your internship is a learning experience, and tackling something unfamiliar should be your goal, not your fear. If you’re unsure about something, ask those around you. Your co-workers are there to help, and you’ll hand in your work with the confidence that you did it right.

To everyone at Crenshaw: Thank you for an amazing summer in the city – I couldn’t have asked for a better learning experience, with better people!

Do you have any tips for future PR interns?

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