January 22, 2010
As a recent college graduate, I was thrilled to land an internship with LCWA in the fall, and even more excited to turn that internship into a full-time position last week! During my internship I worked on a wide variety of projects, all of which taught me a great deal about agency life. Below is some advice for others just starting out in the business.
- Stay organized. I was shocked by the amount of information flowing every day! I recommend designating a notebook for each client to keep information together. And it’s essential to keep a detailed to-do list with assignments organized by deadline, so that nothing slips through the cracks.
- Follow through is key. I was excited to start pitching and proud to land media hits for our clients – including a placement in the New York Times! One thing I learned is that pitching is just the start of a very long process. From setting up interviews and sending products for review, to monitoring for placements and ultimately sharing them with clients, you have to be on top of every step in order to be truly successful.
- Tailor your writing style. With an internship at a newspaper under my belt, I consider myself a great journalistic writer. But I learned that PR writing also should be tailored to the tone of individual clients, each of which has its own product vocabulary and level of formality.
- Ask for help. Internships are meant to be learning experiences – you’re not expected to know everything! Take advantage of having a professional mentor by asking for guidance or advice whenever needed.
My internship gave me great insight on media relations, writing and working with clients. I can’t wait to continue learning the ropes as an assistant account executive at LCWA!