Hunting THE internship

Where to go?

Finding THE internship – that was the main concern when the Public Relations 393 module was introduced to us. I was motivated to find the most appealing job placement that would add value to my ‘brand new’ professional career. This module definitely acts as a career booster as it propels us in the job market before even being graduated. It is a swap from our usual hypothetical role as public relations officers to a real and professional state.

Richard Eriksson's photo

For this module, my preferred choice was turned towards public relations consultancy agencies. Personally, I believe that starting to discover the profession through a consultant agency offers a broader scale of experience in the communications field. Having to work for several companies widens one’s knowledge of the profession and consequently enriches one’s capacities to become a proficient public relations professional. As a consultant, I think, one is somehow less likely to be biased when dealing with communication issues than the ones who work solely for one company. Working as a consultant changes completely the approach towards the task to be achieved. 

Hence, these are some reasons which shaped my aim of obtaining an internship in a consultant agency.   

The decisive CV and Statement of Purpose writing

Pete O'Shea's photo

CV and Statement of Purpose writing were other crucial steps which shaped the PR 393 experience. Professional and attractive were the keywords guiding the latter steps in order to obtain the best possible internship. Organising structured and appealing written expressions/resumes of ourselves is always somehow a challenging task. My technique here was to remain genuine in my requests and to express my motivations and expectations as straight forward and clear as possible. I believe that the statement of purpose letter is something which should be tailored according to company’s profile. Using a template letter and replacing one or two words in it is not a suitable practice according to me; it lacks authenticity. Be it statement of purpose writing or formal emails sent to a potential future employer, I came to the conclusion that the latter tasks resemble that of pitching journalists for press coverage. One has to find the right introductory words that will attract the recipient/addressee’s attention. First impressions on the job seeker, to some extent, are made from these introductory steps. 

Was it luck or not, but my first trial to obtain an internship was the right one. I tried to convey genuine expressions of my willingness to work within that particular company and ‘pitched’ my email request like a journalist looking for express press coverage. I cannot ensure that these are THE ways of looking for a job, but they finally turned out to be really efficient. Therefore I sincerely encourage all job seekers to be dedicated and relatively strategic in the ways they ‘market’ themselves to potential employers.  

Odysseus office in Sodnac, Quatre-Bornes. Relatively
comfortable office space.

Therefore my internship for the PR 393 module in now secured in the consultant agency Odysseus Public Relations Consultant Agency. I am happy and grateful to have joined this company, and of course eager to discover the public relations profession in the real world. Evaluating my worth as a public relations professional-to-be will certainly be one the next steps of this PR 393 experience.   





Sonia Monty
15886499
CTI - Mauritius