In an earlier post I talked about my internship experience at a major record label. That was one of the few internships that helped me truly discover my passions. Another internship that taught me the REAL world of public relations was my internship with AR|PR. I had always said to myself, “I wonder what it’s like to work at an actual PR firm?” I had gotten experience through other internships working within their PR departments and also working on PR committees on campus, but never at an actual firm. I saw a listing on Georgia State’s Panther Career Net and within weeks I had an opportunity working at AR|PR’s Atlanta office.
This internship experience was one for the books! When I say this was the REAL DEAL, I mean in every way possible. I began the internship thinking my PR courses on campus adequately prepared me for the job. Not to say that they didn’t, because I’ve learned so much in my journalism courses, but this internship gave me a run for my money! I was trained on software that never even crossed my mind, but once I got the hang of things, I truly felt like a PR professional.
My PR writing course helped prepare me for the style writing I would experience in a firm, and interning helped reinforce what I learned times like a billion! After a week of intense training, I was drafting posts for the company and its clients’ social media accounts, assisting with press releases, and gathering social media analytics for AR|PR’s clients. It was a lot to take in, but honestly the internship that taught me the most about the PR field and my own personal capabilities.
Now, I am transitioning out of college into the professional world and I feel much more confident in my ability to perform as a professional. I owe it all to my internship experiences and recommend every student to intern as early as possible!
