It's important to ask important questions. That's my nugget of advice for the day.
I received an email from a curious dad who responded to my post on LinkedIn's group for the alumni association of my Alma Mater, Texas State University. He wanted to know when his son should begin applying for a PR internship.
My advice to undergrads, who have the time and commitment to spare for an internship, is to begin applying in the early semester before you intend on beginning. So if you want to start in the Fall of 2009, you should already 1) Have a good idea of what your fall class schedule will look like 2) Have at least 15 hours a week to spare during the week and 3) Have sent your resume out to several companies or agencies early in the summer. If you want to intern in the Spring of 2010, you should apply during early Fall 2009. Easy enough, right?
Not so fast. I used to say it was never too soon to begin interning, but before you get in over your head, make sure you've at least started some intro courses to your sequence. I like my interns, for example, to already have taken Intro to Public Relations and a Writing for Public Relations class. You don't need an elaborate portfolio, either, but don't let me discourage you from one. A few writing examples always help a candidate stand out from the rest.
Stay tuned for more advice on finding the right internship for you, preparing for the interview, staying positive and making it happen.
I love hearing from parents, but also greatly encourage students to contact me directly at theprblog@gmail.com with any questions.
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I'm not in the PR field but I know that planning ahead is important when looking for an internship. You must be able to find a balance in your schedule to be able to do both, it's a challenge but it'll definitely benefit you in the long run.
ReplyDeleteFor example, last semester I was able to hold two internships, one in graphic design and the other in social media, while taking two classes during the week. Just to tell you up front, be prepared to be mentally and physically challenged as this will take up your time but I was able to organize everything where I was able to do all three and in the end I managed to network with alot more people and gain more experience in both fields.