How to Get the Most Out of Your Internship
Going into my first internship was a very stressful experience. I didn’t know much about the advertising and public relations industry, and I felt like my lack of knowledge and experience had the potential to paint me as a bad employee. I am here to tell you that you are not supposed to know much about your field yet; you will learn that through your internship.
With that being said, however, there are still several ways to enhance your learning experience while you are completing your internship. There are plenty of opportunities for you to increase your knowledge and prepare yourself for a career after graduation.
Networking 101: How to Connect with Professionals
As an introvert, it was challenging for me to network with the people I work with. However, once I started making connections at my workplace, I realized that they are just people. Most people you will encounter are kind-hearted, respectful, and are looking to connect with someone new, such as a new intern. Once meaningful relationships are established, they can open doors to many opportunities. You never know what outside connections someone might have.
There are a few things I would recommend if you are looking to network with your co-workers:
Attend any and all planned events, luncheons, or outings. This will automatically make it easier to meet new people when you put yourself in these situations.
Look to connect with new people. Do not just stay around the people you already know well.
Have confidence in yourself. Nobody expects you to be perfect.
Follow up with them. Connect with them on social media after you meet in person to keep the relationship going.
Figure Out How You Manage Your Time Best
Understandably, each person manages their time differently. Interns often have to juggle a variety of tasks with different deadlines, so having this skill is crucial. Time management not only helps you get your work done efficiently, but it establishes that you are trustworthy.
An app that helps me manage my time is called Flora. It encourages you to stay off of your phone and it allows you to make to-do lists. Even if your team uses a website for project management, creating your own to-do lists can be helpful because it allows you to set goals by the hour.
Engage with Industry Influencers
As you learn more about advertising and public relations through your internship, follow influencers on your social media accounts. Once followed, I encourage you to turn their notifications on. Influencers are experienced individuals that can give you insight into how your industry works. Since they most likely have been in the field for a few years, they will keep you updated on new trends and ideas that have sparked within their brand. Additionally, their content might help you with your creative ideas because it will automatically have you thinking outside of the box.
One of my favorite Ad/PR influencers is Nicolas Cole (you can find more about him through his Twitter profile: Nicolascole77), a stunning online writer. He tweets about how to become a successful writer, gives tips on how to gain writing confidence, as well as general tips to improve your work from the ground up. One special thing he does is that he engages with other people on his timeline so that you can also get connected with other influencers. Obviously, we all have preferences for the different people we like to see on our feed. However, once you find the people you love, you will benefit from connecting with them on social media.
If you are starting an internship or have already started one, there are a multitude of things you can do to get the most out of it. The one thing that has become abundantly clear to me is this: the harder you work, the more people will want to collaborate with you. More connections lead to more opportunities to flourish in your blossoming career.
About Clare
Clare is a junior with a double major in Film and Video and Advertising and Public Relations. Clare is currently working as a Marketing Associate for Senior Living Experts, a senior referral service based out of Chicago. This is her third year involved in PRSSA and her first year on E-Board as the Social Media Director. This is also her second year on the GrandPR staff where she will serve as an Account Executive in the fall.