Secrets of Agency PR: As Told By An Intern
Not one of my close friends at UNC is studying Public Relations. I always find myself surrounded by doctors-to-be, future politicians and bilingual gurus. Prior to my internship at Howard, Merrell & Partners, when people asked me what I was going to do with PR, my response always sounded more like a question. “Um, work in an agency or something?”
Even with a couple Journalism and PR classes under my belt, I was uncertain of what a career in PR even looked like. I had studied AP style and some basic terms bolded in my textbook, but nothing I’ve learned in my classes could ever compare to the experience I have had at HM&P over the past three months.
So here are a few secrets you can’t get from sitting in a classroom.
- “Dumb” questions don’t exist. Ask anyone who gave me an assignment this summer. Questions in this (and any) workplace are completely necessary. It’s much easier to ask for help than doing the task wrong and then having to start all over to get it right. Asking questions during this internship has helped me learn why we do what we do in PR.
- Small tasks are valuable. I started out my first week putting together a couple of media lists. While it seemed like tedious work, within weeks I saw the end results. After writing a press release, I distributed it to my well-researched contacts, and soon after, I was calling each of them individually, working to get the client featured in a publication. It was definitely rewarding to see information from my media relations strategy on a website or in print.
- Everyone says PR is fast-paced, but that’s an understatement. In the beginning I was overwhelmed keeping different clients straight, remembering which tasks were priorities and figuring out how to juggle so many assignments at once. These skills are sometimes natural for people, for me however, it was something I had to learn. Now, HM&P has taught me how to prioritize and manage tasks, as well as how to keep my head on straight and take a deep breath. I am thankful that I have been exposed to the craziness (and joy!) of PR.
I am truly grateful for the experience I have had with HM&P. I have learned far more than I expected here and have expanded the breadth and depth of my skills. With a much better understanding of agency PR, my answer to the looming question about what I want to do in PR is no longer a question, it’s the statement “I want to work in an agency because…”
