3 Pro Tips from a Recent Grad
I am not your “traditional” intern. I am slightly older (27) than what most would consider an intern. I returned to college in the middle of the pandemic, after already completing a degree in a field that didn’t make me happy. I’m so glad that I came back to the field that I fell in love with as a teenager.
I have always loved to tell stories and write. I am a self-proclaimed nerd who loves comic-book conventions, attending events, creating videos and photography, so why not give PR a go?I have learned so much and I am still learning to this day. I am grateful for this opportunity to grow and learn with such a reputable agency.
Staying Organized Is Important
Honestly, I thought I was an organized person but let me tell you, I learned pretty quickly that working with a PR agency takes more organizational skills than I originally thought. I have never been someone to keep a planner, so adjusting and adapting my organizational skills is still a work in progress.
Have you ever heard of a social media content calendar? This was a new surprise for me. Our social media content calendar is a large color-coded spreadsheet with planned social media content for a whole year. Seeing this beast for the first time was overwhelming. It took some time and understanding to get adjusted to using it.
The level of organization and professionalism exhibited by the MVW team is something I desire to reach. I welcome this challenge but I am still a work in progress.
Put Yourself Out There
Internships and jobs are not going to come to you. This is something I have learned over the years, but more so these last two years. I am a reformed shy person. I prefer calling myself an introverted-extrovert nowadays, but still, you get the gist. I struggle with putting myself out there but I am lucky to have found mentors that have pushed me out of my shell and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. Thank you, Donna, Jenny, Charlie and Melissa!
Talking to people has never come easy for me especially if I don’t know the person or they are someone who I believe is “above” me. It took me almost 25 years to become more open. My motto is “seek discomfort” because often the greatest life experiences happen outside of your comfort zone. This is something I have found to be true. I wouldn’t be an intern at MVW Communications if I hadn’t taken the opportunity to reach out and ask Melissa to be a mentor.
My biggest tip is to “seek discomfort” and don’t say ‘no’ to an opportunity immediately because something great might come out of saying ‘yes’.
Be Open to Learning & Sharing Your Knowledge with Others
During this internship, I have often felt like I’ve been playing catch-up and constantly making mistakes. This is how you learn. The biggest pay-off of this internship is that I am gaining real-world experience while also learning the theoretical practices in class. Unlike some universities, Texas A&M University-San Antonio doesn’t offer a Public Relations track. At A&M-San Antonio, we are taught all aspects of the communications field, with more of a focus on journalism. This means I am taking my first and only PR class in conjunction with this internship. This has meant I am often sharing real-world insights with my classmates while also feeling a little bit behind the other MVW interns whose degree focus is in PR.
I find myself more prepared than most of my fellow A&M-San Antonio classmates because I have already been practicing these skills for actual clients. I also read Melissa’s book “Smart Talk: Public Relations Essentials All Pros Should Know” prior to starting the semester. I highly recommend reading it if you are interested in PR or if you are taking a PR class soon (it’s easier to read than a textbook).
The work I have done for our MVW clients, like building a PR kit, is helping me develop my skills and providing a guide and templates for my PR final class project. My group and I are building a full PR kit and content calendar for Southwest Key Programs’ Community Youth Development - San Antonio chapter. Without the lessons I have been learning at MVW Communications, I would have never challenged myself to take the initiative and lead that project.
I enjoy being a jack of all trades and I will continue to pursue knowledge as I progress in my career. I am grateful for this PR internship and everything I have learned along the way. I still don’t have everything “figured out,” but I am on my way to becoming a communications professional.