Thousands of students are competing to land coveted PR
internship as they know that the days of landing your dream communications job
without a set of industry internships or relevant job experience is super rare.
Below are ways to turn the frown upside down, and
maximize the potential of this opportunity instead of calling it quits:
- NOT ENOUGH WORK
It can be extremely frustrating when you are not getting
the valuable experience needed – especially if you are not being paid! Interns
are often faced with the problem of not having enough work, or being given
“busy work” that does not really add value to the company.
The solution is To
Be Proactive: If you find that you are finishing projects before lunchtime,
do not spend the rest of your day on Facebook – speak up! There are most likely
projects that you could be doing, and your employer might be grateful for the
help.
- Feeling Invisible
Getting
no love from the big boss can be discouraging, but do not just slack off
because it appears as if no one is watching. Distancing yourself from your
colleagues and shutting down is the worst way to end the cycle of poor
communication.
Instead,
take initiative. Build relationships with other interns and entry-level folks
who do have more time in their schedule to explain things to you.
Although getting ignored by the one person you want to learn from is
tough, using your skill set to help out assistants and other interns may
benefit you down the line. Finally, if there is no intern program, offer to
build one out .
- NOT ENOUGH FEEDBACK
Having no direction can
seem daunting when you are being assigned huge tasks. But, don’t quit!
It’s time to
self-educate! Get your hands on the boundless information available online that
help you figure out what the heck goes into a “media kit.”
Shoot your school’s
PR professors an email and ask them those overwhelming questions your boss
cannot answer. Seek out informational interviews with professionals in your
industry through LinkedIn. This
industry moves so quickly that your undergraduate education simply cannot keep
up. Smart communicators take their education into their own hands.
These were just some of
the problems that may pop up during an internship. If you are facing any issue
regarding your internship, do share how you are dealing with it. Your
experience and solutions may prevent someone from disappointment!
