#pr internships

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Gain Real-World Experience with PR Internships and Practical Exposure at ISM

Enhance your public relations skills with hands-on experience through PR internships and practical exposure at ISM. Our industry-focused curriculum provides valuable insights into media relations, crisis management, brand reputation, and digital PR strategies. Learn directly from industry experts, work with top PR agencies, and gain the real-world knowledge needed to excel in today’s fast-paced media landscape.

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7 Tips for Balancing Graduate School and an Internship

In late 2015, I spent countless hours reflecting and trying to find the correct answer to “what am I going to do with my life?” It was a daunting question, and it left me with two choices: continue working full time or go back to school for a master’s degree in something that I had an interest in. It would have been a relatively easy decision if I didn’t hold a curiosity for essentially everything. However, I eventually settled on the choice to pursue an M.S. in public relations with a focus in corporate communications through Boston University (BU).

The version of how I chose to pursue higher education is the version I tell at dinner parties. I usually will receive a vague look followed by the exclamation: “Oh, public relations! Like that Mr. Spicer?” Well, no and yes. However, my time at BU is preparing me for what to expect in the industry, and my internship with Porter Novelli Boston is providing me with priceless opportunities and hands-on experience. I’ve enjoyed my time as a PNer and last semester I quickly learned that it takes dedication, strategy and positivity to balance the demands and deadlines of both graduate school and the fast-pace of a PR agency. Although everything is very rewarding when the semester is completed, it is important to find peace and balance early on to maintain a healthy lifestyle and mindset.

Here are some tips that I learned first-hand, and each one is useful to any student taking both the graduate school and internship track.            

Practice good time management.

If you procrastinated in undergrad – that habit is best left in the past. Graduate school is demanding, and deadlines are strict. If you have a 10-page paper due in one week, treat it as if you have a two-page paper due every day until the actual submission date. Ten pages may not seem like much, but when you factor in other classes, internships and side jobs, writing a quality paper the night before it’s due will be a nightmare. At the graduate level, professors expect a grammatically correct sentence, so an all-nighter paper is easy for them to spot. By breaking up the work, you will be more productive at your internship, and you will thank yourself when you return home after a full day.

Communicate with your direct supervisor.

Your internship supervisor is your biggest cheerleader! Just like your professors, your supervisor wants to see you succeed. As much as you want to take on every project assigned and maintain a 3.7 GPA – you are human. By addressing where the major stressors are coming from, whether it is that you need more time to meet an academic deadline or a client-related one, your advisor will help out. Speaking up and communicating will lead to a manageable schedule and happy teammates – both in your program and at work!

Make sure you have a solid sleep and eating routine.

Hollywood may glamorize the life of an overworked student, but in real life, there is nothing glamourous about it. An exhausted individual who is expected to contribute thoughtful and comprehensive work on a daily basis is what burnouts are made of. Developing a solid sleep routine will provide the best results for you throughout the week. In addition, making sure to eat three good meals a day is extremely important. Quality work takes a lot of brain power, and eating and sleeping well is a must. There is no assignment or project that is worth more than your health.  

Don’t own a planner? Buy one – maybe two.

Technology is a great solution to those with a busy schedule. However, I’ve come to believe that a physical planner is the secret to success. The reminders that you hastily put in your iPhone can easily glitch, or be overlooked if there are too many notifications on your screen. With a handwritten planner, you can be sure that all of your obligations, projects and homework assignments are documented. This past semester I had two separate planners – one for PN and the other for my school work, personal engagements and events. My motto: If it isn’t written down then it isn’t happening.  

Try to have a good work/life balance

Slightly contrary to what I said under the sleep/eating section – there will be those inevitable times where you will have to pull an all-nighter. Hopefully it will only be at the end of the semester when finals period is in full swing. Needless to say, finding a work/life balance among the internship and school demands is what will get you through. Making time for family, friends and activities that you enjoy will help you stay in touch with a world that is not solely work-influenced. Keeping in touch with people and things that heighten your mood will get the positive endorphins working and leave you rejuvenated.  

Maintain low stress levels.

This one may be easier said than done, but try to keep your stress levels down as much as possible. The semester is going to be demanding, and since PR is a deadline-run industry, stress may be unavoidable. However, adding unnecessary additional stress is completely avoidable. If you create a time management schedule and stick to it, your internship and graduate school experience will go relatively smoothly.

Breathe.

If I could give myself one bit of advice before this past semester started, it would be to breathe. That paper you have to write: it will be get done, those media briefs: each one will be in a folder by Friday afternoon and the group project: everyone will show up and do their part. I walked around for at least five months before realizing I spend a majority of my time holding my breath. Exhale. It’s all going to work out.

There is no doubt that if you made it this far in your academic career, you are more than qualified to manage graduate school and an internship together. There will be times when scheduling may be a little uncomfortable, but what’s life without a little challenge? Having the ability to look back and view your accomplishments is extremely rewarding and by the end you’ve expanded your network and skillset. But for now, it’s summer – so write things down a little less, and soak up the sun and all of the endless opportunities and support that Porter Novelli has to offer.

-Georgia Moore, Intern, PN Boston

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Making the Most Out Of Career Fairs

If you’re a student at a college or university, you’ll more than likely come across the opportunity to attend a career fair or two. At Porter Novelli (PN), we love going to career fairs because it lets us meet and connect with potential talent. We’re constantly looking for chances to be on campuses (and most of us jump at the chance to go back and visit our respective alma matersJ).

Whether it’s a general job fair, a major-focused fair or a general networking event with a career fair portion, we highly recommend that students attend them – it’s one of many recruitment methods for our summer intern programs and a great way for job seekers to make a personal connection with us outside of submitting a resume online.

However, career fairs can be overwhelming if you’re not adequately prepared. Below, we’ve curated some helpful advice on how you can make the most out of a career fair visit.

1. Do your research and prepare. Find out which employers will be there and research them. Prioritize the companies that you’re most interested in, since you likely won’t have enough time to meet with all employers.  If possible, it would be helpful to obtain a floor map of the career fair so you can map out your route.

2. Come up with insightful questions to ask. Don’t ask questions that you can easily find the answers to online. Ask questions that only employees would have insight into, such as “what’s the culture like?” or “what’s one thing about the office that you really enjoy?”

3. Craft your elevator pitch. Recruiters will most often just ask you to tell them a bit about yourself. Have a concise and interesting pitch ready that tells them what they need to know about your experience and career interests, in under two minutes.

4. Bring your materials. Resumes (and even business cards) are a must! At PN, we review all the resumes we gather from career fairs to see if candidates would be a good fit for our internship. Before you print your resumes off on nice paper, make sure it has been proofread for any errors! If you’re interested in a company and the employee doesn’t ask for your resume, be proactive and offer it to them.

5. Dress appropriately. Dress for the job you want! First impressions matter and bad first impressions matter more.

6. Attend pre-career fair events. Usually career fairs are only a small component of a much larger networking or professional development event. If possible, attend those sessions before or after the career fair. You’ll get some valuable learning in, and will have more opportunities to network with professionals while you’re there.

7. Take notes. It shows that you’re genuinely interested in what employers have to say.

8. Ask recruiters for their info. Make sure you grab a business card and thank them for their time.

9. Follow up. Reach out within a day or two while the event is still fresh in recruiters’ minds and personalize your outreach with something that was discussed in the initial meeting. Bonus points if you add a next step or action like setting up an informational interview or coffee meeting.

There you have it! Do you have any career fair tips that you’d like to share with us? Leave us a comment, and make sure to follow your local Porter Novelli social media accounts to see when we’ll be at a career fair near you!

-Stephanie Pham, Porter Novelli Atlanta

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6 Time Management Tips for Agency Interns

Bill codes, constant emails and deadlines, oh my! From account coordinators to senior partners, most PR professionals can attest to the field’s demanding and fast-paced nature.  The industry’s hectic environment requires individuals to be reliable communicators and have the ability to multitask and remain meticulous throughout short-term and long-term assignments. While working at an agency may appear intimidating, mastering time management skills is the key to being successful. Below are a few tips for agency interns – from an agency intern – on how to effectively manage time:  

Start your day with planning. Each morning, take a few minutes to go through your emails and assess your workload. Knowing what you ultimately have to get done each day – along with considering time for unexpected asks – can help you prioritize your assignments and hit the ground running.

Develop a system for recording hours. Getting into the habit of entering your billable time each day can help you stay on top of other tasks and projects. By getting this small job out of the way, you’ll feel more focused and ready to address as-needed tasks as they surface. Consider creating either a digital or old-fashioned notebook log of your work each day to consistently update. Personally, I use a large sticky note each day to house projects I work on and the time spent completing assignments.

Utilize your calendar. If you know you need to dedicate a certain number of hours to a larger project each week, block off time to ensure you’re able to steadily make progress. Adding deadline reminders for clips and other recurring tasks can also assist in efficiently getting work done.

Be wary of distractions. While it’s especially tempting as an aspiring PR professional to stay up-to-date with news on Twitter, social media usage should be limited to breaks. If your agency has internal chat feature (like Skype Lync), consider changing your status to “Busy” or “Do Not Disturb” when you need to maximize productivity.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. As an intern, it’s easy to always want to say “yes” to every project and ask that comes through your inbox. By clarifying information like deadlines (i.e. “When do you need this assignment by?) and the task’s time commitment (i.e. “Do you want me to spend a certain number of hours on this?”), you can more proactively determine your schedule and whether or not you have enough hours to commit. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, reach out to your internship supervisor to help develop a plan for addressing projects in a timely manner without letting assignments slip through the cracks.  

Be ready for spontaneous asks. When working at a PR agency, there’s no definition of a “typical day.” Projects and deadlines constantly arise and it’s important to monitor your email and remain flexible. Frequently communicating with project leaders about their expectations and your workload will help you smoothly adjust to accommodate unexpected and time-sensitive deliverables.    

While everyone may have their own way of managing time, these tips offer a few ways to start feeling more productive and efficient. By embracing agency culture – and ways to stay organized – you’ll be able to learn more, impress your managers, and ultimately walk away with a strong portfolio of work.

- Allie Erenbaum, Intern, Porter Novelli DC

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Q&A: PN Intern Success Stories

(Pictured above: Matt Ornsbee)

I couldn’t feel my hands the day of my interview with Porter Novelli (PN). It was below zero degrees, and I was carrying my dress shoes and suit jacket, not wanting to leave my boots and winter coat at home, as I walked through downtown Boston.

The best piece of advice I got the day before was my mom telling me to plan to arrive a half hour early. This would give me some leeway if I was unexpectedly delayed. I ended up using that extra time to thaw out in the lobby. Luckily, that’s the only thing I have to complain about my experience with PN

My first day was January 9, 2017, and I have been thrown right into things. I’m currently on five accounts doing things like content development, media relations and coverage tracking. Three of the accounts I work on are technology companies, and learning about semiconductors and data analytic software was eye-opening to say the least. Over the past three months, the team in Boston has made me feel welcome and taught me a lot.

Two of these team members who have helped me transition into my internship have been Molly Robertson and Kelsey Johnson. Molly is an Account Executive and was an intern in the Boston office during the summer of 2015. Kelsey is an Assistant Account Executive and was an intern in the Boston office last summer. I thought it would be a cool idea to speak with them briefly about their time as interns and making the transition to full-time.

(Pictured above: Kelsey Johnson)

(Pictured above: Molly Robertson)

Matt Ormsbee (MO): My internship has been very hands-on, and I’ve learned a lot while working through things. What was the learning experience like during your internship?

Kelsey Johnson (KJ): My internship was DEFINITELY hands-on. PN was probably the most in-depth internship that I had and they threw me into things the fastest. But thankfully, the team here is really great at directing interns and providing a well-rounded learning experience.

Molly Robertson (MR): The PN internship was an immersive experience. I had never worked in PR, let alone an agency, prior to joining the team. So, getting started on learning the language and the ins and outs of client relationships was a lot to manage. That being said, I found the environment to be incredibly supportive, and conducive to learning the ropes as quickly as possible.

MO: What was the biggest challenge when you began, and how did you overcome it?

MR: I think the biggest challenge was learning to adjust my time management strategies. On an academic schedule, you have a syllabus of activities; you know exactly what you need to do and you can plan out your schedule well in advance. As an agency intern, working with several different clients simultaneously, your schedule and priorities can change at the drop of a hat. Instead of being rigid and disciplined in your long term schedule, you need to be nimble and adapt to changing client needs. By relying on my teams for support and focusing on tackling tasks one at a time, I was able to become more flexible and be more productive.

KJ: The biggest challenge for me how the markets a lot of our clients work in are deeply technical, and the fact that the majority of our clients are B2B made it even trickier. I had interned at other tech agencies, but they had been consumer-facing clients. I had never talked about semiconductors or software that was being sold to other businesses. I was able to overcome this by putting in extra time to research and read up on the clients. And again, I received awesome help from the team.

MO: What was the transition like from Intern to Account Coordinator?

MR: The transition to Account Coordinator was remarkably seamless. Since our teams bring interns onto projects as soon as they are ready, instead of waiting until their title changes, roles and responsibilities evolve constantly. By the time I was hired as an Account Coordinator, I had already been involved in pitching, client communications and other higher-level activities.

KJ: Transition from intern to Account Coordinator was pretty smooth, actually. The great thing about PN is that they give their interns a lot of responsibility. Account Coordinator is definitely a step up, but Interns are prepared.

All the experience I have been able to gain during my internship has been invaluable. If I’m fortunate enough to make the same transition Molly and Kelsey did, I feel the same way they did. Being an intern with Porter Novelli has equipped me with skills necessary to seamlessly take on a bigger role and more responsibility.

Want to learn more about the Boston office specifically? Check out this post about the culture and happenings here.

-Matt Ormsbee, Intern, Porter Novelli Boston

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How To Ace The Writing Assessment

It’s a beautiful March day, and you know it’s coming, but suddenly your phone “bings” with a new email and the dread hits. It’s HR with your timed writing assessment and it starts now! Take a seat and a deep breath – you’ve got this! The writing assessment is simply our way of making sure that you have the basic writing skills necessary for your success at Porter Novelli as an intern.

To make you feel more prepared, here are four key lessons you should learn before taking a writing assessment:

Lesson 1 – If you can choose, write about something you know well.

Some writing assessments give you a few topics to choose from, or even let you pick one of your own. While writing about something relevant to the company you’re applying for is always a plus, it’s really smart to write about something you already know! It’s better to write well about a topic you are familiar with than to try to research and pick a new topic that you might not write as eloquently about. And keep in mind – the people reviewing your writing assessment are likely reviewing a number of them, so being original and making it interesting will make their job more enjoyable.

Lesson 2 – Set goals for yourself.

You’re given two hours to take the writing assessment, so set goals for what you want to have complete by what time, taking into consideration how long each assignment will take.

Figure out what piece of the assessment will take you the longest and be sure you give yourself adequate time without cutting it too close anywhere else. Two hours may sound like a long time, but it can go quickly, and planning will help ensure you have time to get to everything.

Lesson 3 – Proof it!

You know your writing skills are strong and your computer is equipped with spell check, but there is no substitute for proofreading once you are done. Be sure to build in time to make sure that everything is correct and flows well. I always recommend reading your writing out loud to yourself – that is a surefire way to catch a lot of errors that might be lurking.

Lesson 4 – We aren’t trying to trick you!

One time when I took a writing assessment I found a typo on a media list I was supposed to use as a basis for some of the assignment. I remember staring at it and wondering if this was a trick: am I supposed to correct it and show my editing prowess? Or am I supposed to ignore it so I don’t look like I’m correcting the people I’m interviewing with? I may never know if that typo was there on purpose or not and if my correcting it helped or didn’t impact my chances at all. The moral of this story is that we aren’t trying to trick you. Simply do your best, double check your work at the end and feel confident in the abilities you bring to the table.

If you’ve made it to the writing assessment phase of the PN intern process, you’ve already shown some serious talent. You can go into the writing assessment with confidence and know that you are well equipped to do your best as long as you make the time count, working quickly and carefully. And remember, as an intern you aren’t expected to be 100% perfect. When we review your writing assessment, we’ll look for the basic skills as well as your attention to detail, and be prepared to help teach you the rest once you (fingers crossed!) join our team.  

- Amanda Rue, Account Supervisor, Porter Novelli Atlanta

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Balancing Work with Play: PNATL’s Fun Circle

Ask any PNer what they like about working at Porter Novelli (PN) and they’ll give you a few answers – either the people, the impactful work or most of all, the culture.

Workplace culture is important to us and it shows! Our culture focuses on the employees because we believe that happy employees à better work à happy clients! In addition to all our awesome company-wide benefits, a staple of workplace culture in the PN Atlanta office includes circles.

A circle is similar to a committee or club based on interests. Anyone can create a circle and anyone can join one. A few of the circles we’ve had at PN: wellness, social impact and sustainability, diversity, mischief, foodie and FUN.

The fun circle is responsible all things fun and casual in the office, such as:

Woo Week.

Woo Week is arguably the best week of the year. Every year around Valentine’s Day (we just finished it two weeks ago!), we have people opt in to Woo Week and assign everyone a “wooee” that they’ll spend the entire week showering with gifts, treats and thoughtful notes. It’s all done in secret and it’s exciting to watch people try to guess who their wooer is. At the end of the week, we host an event where all wooers reveal themselves over Valentine-themed snacks and drinks.

The Turn-Up Trolley.

#ThirstyThursday is real! Every Thursday we have a cart filled with snacks and beverages that goes around from cube to cube. Each week we designate an employee in the office to go around and ask a get-to-know-you question for a treat. This gives us a break from work and allows us to get to know everyone better!

Summer kickball.

Every summer, we grab all our athletes (lol) and join a kickball league in Atlanta. This allows us all to get out of the office and hang out with our coworkers in a non-work environment.

Other monthly (and sometimes spontaneous) events.

In addition to celebrating the typical holidays (St. Patty’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Fourth of July, Halloween, etc.) we also make sure to showcase the quirkier holidays, such as National Grilled Cheese Day, Pi Day, Picnic Day and National Ice Cream Sundae Day. Our office is competitive in sports, so every year we host a college football kickoff tailgate in our office as well.

And, sometimes, we do spontaneous lunches for the office for no reason! Just as a nice surprise.

Offsite and holiday party.

In addition to the weekly and monthly events, the fun circle is also responsible for planning our yearly company offsite and holiday party. The offsite usually takes place in late summer/early fall, while the holiday party is held in December.

The offsite is another way for the office to get together and hang out in some capacity – whether that’s doing a scavenger hunt at the Atlanta Zoo, chilling at Monday Night Brewing or volunteering our time doing service work.

The holiday party is a time for us to gather and reflect on the great year we’ve had, and we go all out – DJ, food, drinks, photo booth, and more!

The fun circle is just one way to boost workplace culture and office morale. The fun circle – and other circles—help people to become more engaged in the company and make it an enjoyable place to work.

We’d love to hear from you! What is important to you when it comes to workplace culture? Hit up our comment box and let us know!

-Stephanie Pham, Analyst, Porter Novelli Atlanta

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Public Relations Intern at Vanessa Abron Public Relations

The pubic relations intern must be a self-starter and self-motivated. The internship is designed to be a work-from-home experience, so the candidate must be disciplined and responsible enough to execute the necessary responsibilities in a timely manner without a manager looking over his/her shoulder.

This experience is extremely hands-on, so the intern must come with a both a creative side and the ability to carry out administrative duties as well. A basic understanding of public relations and its functions is imperative, along with the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in written form. No two days are ever the same, so the candidate must be able to switch gears quickly, prioritize projects and manage various accounts and projects.

Interns must also have the willingness and ability to think beyond traditional PR tactics and strategies to design/execute innovative approaches.

The duties of the internship are as follow:

* Fully support the company’s strategy and execute it in different phases

* Create and curate engaging content

* Communicate and build relationships with current or prospect clients

* Conducted media outreach to secure coverage for clients, including the distribution of press releases and pitch letters

* Assist in administrative duties

* Develop and maintain media contact lists and databases

* Organize, schedule, coordinate and attend events

* Perform research and market analysis activities

* Research and coordinate vendors for client events

* Submit daily and weekly updates on projects

More info HERE.

This job posting is intended for Columbia College Chicago students/alumni only. All listings are posted at the discretion of the employer and Columbia College Chicago. With respect to the employer’s privacy and consent, positions are not to be repurposed, reposted, forwarded or misused otherwise.

Applicants: Unless the employer has explicitly indicated, it is not recommended that you call about positions or follow-up.

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