How to be a good intern

It has been just over two weeks now since I finished my internship at PPR. Reflecting back on it I started to think about what in my mind makes a good intern. Couple of things came to mind that I learned during my month long internship so I decided to write them down. Hopefully they can be useful for anyone who is just about to start their internship or doing theirs at the moment.

Here are my top seven tips for anyone interning:

1. Listen carefully and ask questions

Do not be afraid to ask questions. It is very important that you understand the work you are given and how to do it in order to be able to complete the task successfully. If you do not understand something just ask, most supervisors are happy to explain and make sure you are confident in completing the task rather than later having to have to fix all the mistakes that were made because you did not understand the scope of work. It is also important to listen carefully of what is being said because as an intern you know less than your supervisors. They have years of experience and can teach you a lot if you are willing to listen and learn.

2. Actively seek work

Sometimes people can get busy with their own work and don’t always think of what they can give to the intern to do unless asked. I found it very important to actively show interest in different projects and talk to people in order to get work. Your supervisors will appreciate the enthusiasm and people are more likely to give you interesting tasks to do.

3. No matter what the task is – always say yes

That is of course if you have the capacity to do the work, if you are already overloaded with tasks try and get the deadline extended or let your supervisor know. I found that at times doing tasks that did not seem so exciting lead into more interesting ones. Often by accepting mundane jobs you are showing to your supervisor that you are willing to learn and do well at any job given to you.

4. Do not forget to ask for feedback

Most of the time I found in my internship I got given feedback right after completing my task but at times I had to ask for it. It is important to seek feedback to give you opportunity to see what you did well and what you can improve on.  Be open to any feedback, including criticism, as it is all useful for you and will help you develop excellent PR skills.

5. Work hard

If you want to succeed you need to work hard and make a full contribution to the team. Take time to complete all the tasks given to you. Always proofread everything before submitting it. Be mindful of deadlines given to you and follow up once you have completed your task to see if there is anything extra you can do. 

6. Don’t be afraid to talk to people

One of the tasks I had to do during my internship was calling people and interviewing them for possible news articles. At first it seemed a bit daunting but I quickly realised that it is just part of the job and once you get comfortable calling people, be it a person you need to interview or a journalist to who you will pitch a story idea to, it is a useful skill to have. After few of those calls it wasn’t that intimidating anymore and by the end of the internship I felt fairly confident calling who ever was necessary. Just try and be enthusiastic when pitching stories to journalists and patient and curious when interviewing people for news articles.

7. Have fun

Last but not least – have fun. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn everything about the PR industry and to soak in all the knowledge the people in your company have. If you are enthusiastic and willing to work people will be more willing to teach you and to include you in different activities and meetings.

To finish up here is a photo from the RSPCA cupcake day that was held at the office on my last week of internship.