“Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.” Dale Carnegie
It’s the most wonderful time of the year at JPR! It’s internship hiring season for both the San Diego and New York offices. Okay, maybe it’s not the MOST wonderful time of the year but, as the San Diego Intern Coordinator, my inbox is flooded with resumes from young hopefuls everywhere who are excited to get their start in the big world of PR. But what does it take to break through and get the interview?
According to a report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), “new college graduates who had taken part in internships fared far better in the job market than their counterparts who didn’t gain that experience.”
A word of advice to the NACE: If we learned anything from Sarah’s last blog, What it takes to be a PR Rockstar, there are many things you can do to set yourself apart from the “rest of the resumes in the inbox.” JPR San Diego and New York have been blessed with some fabulous interns over the past few years. So what does it take to become one of them? So glad you asked:
Experience
I know you are asking yourself why you would need experience for an internship but previous experience is a must. Did you lead your sorority in launching a successful social media campaign? Have you worked at your school’s newspaper for the last three years? Those experiences can give you a GREAT kick-start to any internship in the PR field. Be sure to highlight any experience you may have, big or small. Make sure that you can elaborate on why those experiences shaped you and how they might apply for an internship in PR.
Professionalism
It should go without saying but I can’t tell you how many resumes and cover letters we receive with misspellings and formatting errors. Everything you are sending and saying should be double and triple checked for errors. Please cancel your Lil’ Wayne ring tone and get a new email address if yours is Crunkgirl420@yahoo.com. Treat applying for internships the same you would applying for a job. You are much more likely to land an interview, and ultimately, the internship.
Hunger
The most important thing to remember is it’s the experience that shapes you – and hopefully get prospective employers to take notice. Our best interns at JPR are the ones that have proven time and time again that they are hungry for the experience. Remember that there is no task too big or too small. ANYTHING done well can make all the difference in your blossoming career.
If you think you have what it takes to be an intern for JPR please email internships@jpublicrelations.com.
Think Pink!
