On Tuesday, October, 10, seven members of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) got together in front of fellow members to talk about their personal experiences with previous or ongoing internships. These internships were located all over the country, from Frederick, Maryland, to Washington D.C., and even all the way out in Los Angeles, California. One student even had the rare opportunity to intern for Edelman, the largest public relations firm in the world, and others worked for smaller start-up companies, such as DPR Group, and even the Daily Duke here at James Madison University (JMU).
Each PRSSA member discussed what their job consisted of, and while no two jobs were alike, everybody mentioned how heavily their job was centered around writing and social media. Throughout the panel, each speaker repeatedly mentioned the importance of writing as students for anyone thinking of applying for internships. One word of advice was to write for “The Odyssey” or “The Breeze”, through JMU. In short, be ready for intense writing at your internship. As the panel went on, people from the audience asked about the pros and cons of each speaker’s internships. Some warned us about intense bosses and long hours, and even how quickly the public relations (PR) departments and firms moved along to overcome challenges. Stories were told about how employees and interns alike would have to come together to solve crises within as little as ten minutes. However, each student speaker mentioned that they wouldn’t have traded their experiences as interns for the world. Depending on what company you apply to, the process of becoming an intern can be incredibly painstaking, or it could be something as simple as calling a company and asking for an internship. However, each speaker advised everyone to start looking and applying sooner rather than later. Open-mindedness was greatly encouraged, as well; don’t be afraid to work for smaller start-up companies. Starting small gives you the experience needed that can later be used to work for larger companies and corporations. Overall, all members were in agreement that their internships were wonderful experiences that they will always remember. Despite the few hardships that you may face, working as an intern will give you the skills necessary for a post-grad job in the real world and memories that you will look upon fondly for the rest of your life. - Caroline Rice, PRSSA member
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