Exciting Times Ahead!

As the last week of undergrad studies draw to a close, so do most of our internships. I’m sure there are mixed feelings about leaving Uni but it’s helpful to think about this time as a new beginning to the rest of our professional lives!

As ‘Hello World’ by the Saddle Club plays in my head, I can’t help but get excited by the possibilities facing us as fresh, new graduates. It has really helped that I have found my passion in arts communications and have really found the internship process a good stepping point into the industry. It has also helped put theory into practice and opened my eyes to the not so glamorous parts to PR.

I thought I’d write for those who are new to the internship unit and are perhaps reading these posts to gain a better understanding of what an internship is and are perhaps a little daunted by the idea of being in the real world! Here are some tips on how to view an internship and reasons to not be afraid:

You can make mistakes

An internship is a great way to learn from industry professionals and try your hand at working in PR. But it is also a learning curve and for many of us in our internships we are faced with challenges and ultimately make mistakes. This is nothing to be afraid of! An internship is the best place to make a mistake! There are no real consequences for your mistakes and it is absolutely an opportunity for you to learn from them.

It is benefitting them

Remember that your presence at your internship is ultimately benefitting them. A 20-day internship is more than enough time to train someone, and have your input benefit their company. Essentially, you are working for free. Yes, you are getting valuable industry experience but don’t forget that you are of value to their organisation.

 Ask them what they can do for you

When going for your interview, make sure that they are aware of what your needs are. You need to be working in the PR department and you need to be gaining valuable experiences and learning from it. Make sure you know what you’re getting out of the internship otherwise you could end up finding yourself being taken advantage of. Be up front about your skills, and let them know that you have lots to learn.

20th Century Fox / Via blog.bcm.com.au

As an intern you have every right to do the ‘real’ work in the industry you choose. It can seem daunting, but if you don’t feel like you are learning anything or aren’t working in the area agreed upon then be sure to speak out and talk to your supervisor about how you feel.

I’ve had some pretty terrible internships, but the one I had this semester was great. I can attribute this to clear communication from the beginning on what was expected of me, and what was expected of my internship organisation. From this I have been able to get paid work and continue on with my company based on this strong foundation.

Good luck to graduating internship students and future internship students! I hope your experience can be as rewarding as mine. Just make sure you don’t go viral like this guy… 

- Aimee