Confessions of a PR Intern: So You Think You Can Do PR?

Hi everyone,

I’m guessing that with the report due tomorrow, most of you would have completed your internship. In that case, congrats! For most of us, it’s never an easy transition going from school to working full-time. I’m surprised I haven’t bailed! Just kidding.

I might have been relatively confident about my PR abilities while I was in school, but working alongside the pros all this while has made me realise that there are always bigger shoes to fill.  (It’s a slow climb up to the top, isn’t it?)

At the end of this journey, I guess it’s time for us to take a step back, evaluate our experience, and ask ourselves: Am I well suited to a career in PR? Is PR what I want to do? How did I do?

Okay, maybe I should slow this down. First - what skills does a PR practitioner even need? Here is my list:

1. Work under pressure

I’ve doubted my ability – ever so slightly – to survive in the fierce and unforgiving PR industry, especially in recent weeks where the stress of tight deadlines and never-ending work almost got to me.

So I’ve come to admire some of my colleagues who can handle anything – I mean, anything – under stress. The ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines – to me, that’s one skill I’d love to have.

2. Good writing and oral skills

Very standard – this is even in our Intern Appraisal Form. (By the way, did you peek?)

That said, of course no one will be expecting an intern or even a fresh graduate to write and speak like a pro. This is a skill that needs to be learnt and practised over time, which brings me to my next point…

3. Attitude

My previous point – that oral and writing skills can be practised – makes it easy for anyone without a PR degree and communications background to wiggle their way into the PR industry. Doctors, lawyers, indian-chiefs! Zzzz.

So I firmly believe that while all the PR theory and jargon we’ve learnt can help us excel in our PR careers, at the end of the day, our attitudes towards our work count for more. In my opinion, aside from being diligent and responsible, we should be quick to learn, and always curious. With the right attitude, I'm sure we'll find ourselves at the top one day.

4. Social skills

The ability to relate to people is an important skill to have in this industry. In the course of our work, we’ll have to meet people – media, clients, vendors... Networking is an important part of PR, fortunately or unfortunately.

You can take a look at this article here, too:

• “What qualities and traits do companies look for when hiring for PR positions?” by IPRS

So... Do you have what it takes? I’m not sure about myself, to be honest! But this internship has made me all the more determined to go out and conquer. I love PR, and despite the stress, I love my job. For one thing, I know for sure I won’t be switching careers anytime soon... What about you? :)

Got your own list? Shout out in comments!

Cheers,
Cheryl

15062105 / Curtin Singapore

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> To learn more on how I ended up at FH, see "Confessions of a PR Intern: Just Getting Started!"
> Some lessons you just can't learn in school. See "Confessions of a PR Intern: What School Doesn't Teach You"
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> Mistakes, mistakes. What happens next? See "Confessions of a PR Intern: Oops! I Did It Again"

Hi everyone,

I hope everyone is enjoying and/or coping with the report writing process. I finished my internship prior to the start of semester but writing my report has allowed me to reflect on my time with the Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR) again. I enrolled in PR 393 with what can best be described as a rather pessimistic attitude, I was so nervous about immersing myself in full time work and very unsure about what to expect and what was expected of me. However after completing this internship i really appreciate what this unit is all about. I graduate in just a few short weeks and start full time work next year and the experience I gained during my internship has really alleviated some of my fears about joining the workforce. I feel so much more confident about my abilities now and feel that I am ready to graduate and start work. The internship also opened up some amazing opportunities for me. I interviewed for two jobs with the Department of Industry and Resources last week and will find out if I am successful in early November (....fingers crossed). I have also had three other job offers from different government departments and I feel that the experience I gained during my internship really helped me to set myself apart from other applicants.

I was so nervous on the first day of my internship but i settled in very quickly as everyone was so supportive, understanding and gave me great advice. I panicked when I was requested to write an article for the DoIR website on my second day, especially as it was about the search for hub sites for the processing of Browse Basin gas, something I can safely say that I had no idea about. Those types of articles kept coming including articles for a DoIR publication, Prospect magazine but I found that with a little research and a lot of questions for those in the know really helped. My job was all research research research but I can say that I now have a much greater understanding of mining, alternative energy and industry than I did before. Everything that we learnt it PR200 was a great help, I kept thinking of inverted pyramids and lead paragraphs. I went into the office last week to visit all the people I worked with and to collect some copies of the magazine i wrote articles for. It sounds silly but I was so excited to see my name in print and I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my articles had become the lead. I really appreciate the trust that my coworkers put in me and I was really surprised by what I am capable of.

I hope everyone has enjoyed their internships and I think we should all be proud of ourselves, its hard to put yourself out there and try something new (.....especially when you not getting paid for it). Good luck with writing your reports and with all your post uni pursuits :)

cheers
Lauren K