Internship Application Season is Upon Us!
It’s that time of year – internship application season! Not to be outdone, Porter Novelli is actively posting intern applications for our North America offices in hopes of finding the best and brightest communications minds out there to take part in PN’s 2019 Intern Class.
Porter Novelli is proud to offer juniors, seniors and recent college graduates a top-rated internship experience by encouraging creative thinking and establishing interns as integral members of their team from day one. You won’t be fetching coffee and making copies; here at PN, we believe that practical experience is key to a solid career in public relations, so be ready to write blog posts and news releases, help coordinate client and office events, update media lists and use your unique skillset throughout your internship.
Ready to join us? First, you need to take the first step: apply! Below are a few tips to keep in mind as you navigate application season, as well as specific things we look for at PN.
Do your homework. Research the companies where you want to apply. Sure, an organization’s website is a good place to start, but you should do more digging than that! Here are a few suggestions:
Conduct a Google News search on each company
Check them out on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram
Use Glassdoor to see current and past employee reviews as well as potential interview questions
Join a Facebook group for communications professionals in your area; more than likely, someone will have information about a company’s culture
We promise you’ll stand out if you are able to chat about more than just what you can find on the company’s website.
In fact, when applying for a PN internship, you’ll have a chance to explain why you want to work here, as well as which practice you think would be a good fit. While each office is different, Porter Novelli has five practice areas to spark anyone’s interest. These include:
Food – working with agriculture, associations, nutrition, and the beverage and restaurant industries
Technology – working in the Consumer Tech, Enterprise Tech, Telecommunications/Mobility space
Reputation – helping with reputation management with customers, employees, partners, etc.
Health – supporting health and wellness issues across the globe
Purpose – area focused on helping businesses grow and positively impact the world
Keep your resume and cover letter concise and specific. When you’re at the director level, it’s understandable if your resume is more than one page. However, a resume targeting intern positions should be one page and include information about your education, prior internships or relevant college experiences.
Similarly, keep your cover letter short and sweet; in fact, we recommend writing no more than three to five short paragraphs in your letter. Make sure to tailor your cover letter to each company and internship by using keywords from the job description and expressing how your experience or passions will help fill that particular role.
If you can quantify it, they will come. Numbers stand out on a page, but they also show results.
Did you manage the social media accounts for a student organization? If so, did those accounts grow in terms of followers or engagement? Perhaps you helped plan and execute an event for the company where you worked part-time. How many people attended? Did this number grow from last year? When tweaking your resume, look for ways to quantify your experience.
Read the application thoroughly. Each company’s internship application will ask for different supplemental materials and should include specific details about what you’ll do as an intern. For the PN internship, you’ll need to send the following:
A resume and cover letter
Two professional or personal recommendations
Give your professors or personal contacts at least two weeks to write the letter
A short (max: 300 words) explanation about why you want to work at PN
This is where you can highlight your preferred practice or specialty focus area
Optional: up to three work samples (press releases, blog posts, pitch letters, designed materials, reports, etc.)
Remember that an application is a snapshot of you and your capabilities, so think of ways to creatively package yourself. Do you have a multimedia project or a video from class to share? Are you a design wizard? Or perhaps you’re a media relations guru. Either way, think of a way to present yourself that’s just as unique as you.
Assume you’re always being evaluated. Proofread every email and LinkedIn message before sending. You’ll learn that written communication with clients is a significant part of agency work, and we want to make sure your writing is up to par before you begin corresponding with those we have established relationships with over the years.
Remember that you’re applying for an internship. You don’t know everything about PR. We don’t expect you to, either. We understand that interns are here to grow their skills while they learn the foundations of public relations and account management.
Check back here in a few weeks to see what’s in store for those going through the PN internship process. And don’t forget to submit your application by the deadline!
