November 14, 2017
Maggie McBrien recently completed her internship and will be joining LCWA as a full-time employee. I sat down with Maggie as she makes the transition from intern to assistant account executive to talk about her internship at LCWA. She had a
lot to say about what she learned and shared her thoughts with me on the most important takeaways from her internship. While it’s difficult to condense her whole experience into a single blog post, here are some key insights she shared on how to be successful early in one’s career.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. As an intern, it’s not expected that you already know it all. This is the time to ask questions and even make mistakes. Your coworkers are eager to help and want to see you succeed, so take the opportunity to pick their brains. Ask for clarity if you’re unsure about something and you’ll be surprised by how much you learn.
- Become a master of time management. Maggie quickly realized that in this industry, no two days are the same. You can never fully prepare for what the day will bring, but by staying organized and on top of your assignments, you will be better equipped to handle whatever comes your way. To-do lists will become your best friend, so whether that’s in the form of pen and paper or your Microsoft Outlook calendar, find what works for you and stick to it.
- Get creative. In order to succeed in PR, you have to constantly keep ideas fresh and discover new ways to do even the simplest of tasks. Think about different avenues to approach anything from crafting catchy email subject lines to discovering new angles for a product pitch or trying out alternative approaches to social media content. The more creative you can be, the better.
- Step outside of your comfort zone: While being an intern can feel nerve-racking at times, use this opportunity to overcome any fears you may have and get outside of your comfort zone. With an office in the heart of downtown Chicago, it’s a waste to not make the most of your experience. Become familiar with your surroundings; grab a coffee from somewhere different instead of Starbucks, try new restaurants with coworkers for lunch, and go to industry events to network with other professionals. Put yourself out there, and your whole experience will become richer, more fulfilling and most importantly, fun!