For love or for money? Isn’t that always the question? As the summer nears to an end, one of our PR interns reflects back on her experience with us so far – including some insight on some tough decisions she made in the process…
Graduation day is looming. My classmates have jobs lined up. What am I going to do?
Instead of joining the business school at College of William and Mary, I majored in English; minored in Classical Civilization; and took classes like “Indians of North America,” “Archaeology Near East,” and “Ancient Greek: the language.” I wanted to love what I learned so that every morning I was jumping out of bed, excited for class.
The trouble was, what career would make me respond with equal enthusiasm? I could easily take an entry level job at a bank or in sales – like my classmates – and have a steady income, but, I knew day after day sitting in front of my computer and staring at spreadsheets would make me miserable. The last thing I wanted to do was count down the hours until the end of the workday. Your career takes up a significant part of your life – why waste that part feeling miserable?
Enter: public relations. Why did I decide on this field? I think it was while planning my month-long trip to Italy (opportunity to travel is another advantage to taking some time to analyze yourself) that I realized I like making things happen, and that seeing the end result is the most gratifying feeling in the world. In public relations, you interact with clients on a daily basis, promote events, help plan the events, and attend the events!
The only down-side of this decision: I had no experience. I majored in a generic field that solidifies my writing and analyzing skills, but not the skills specific to public relations. I chose to look at internships – the best way to enter a new field and to really learn.
The first day at my internship, I struggled to write down as many terms that are as common to a public relations executive as the word “the” is in the English vocabulary. Clips. Calendar Listings. PSA. Media Advisory. This internship has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Sure, I learned terms that most learn in college if their major is communications or public relations, but even more rewarding is being able to contribute to an event. I have had press releases published. I have helped direct TV crews on location for an interview. Most importantly, I have learned how public relations executives communicate with their clients and how they handle any hurdle thrown their way.
Yes, this is the bottom in any career field, but if you can prove you’re capable, the only way you can go is up. You will make connections needed to advance. You will have gained ample experience to add to your resume. And most importantly, you will know you love what you do.
Bottom-line: It’s okay to take an internship after college. It may lead you to a happier life.
Tags: Graduation, Internship, PR
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