Archive for Internship
Interns Behaving Badly
Posted by: | CommentsObviously this isn’t about you, but we know it happens and more often then we would all want–interns can behave badly.
Check out this great piece from Forbes on Summer Internship Horror Stories And How To Avoid Them. Read the article THOROUGHLY and make sure you don’t follow suit. Ever.
Luckily, our intern program doesn’t have much wiggle room to allow for any of these horror stories to come to fruition . . .
From the Classroom to the Cubicle – Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsToday’s guest post is the continuation of a post from Friday, 6/7 and is by Peppercomm intern and future PR star, Nick Gilyard.
4. Team Projects weren’t a Huge Waste of Time
Team projects in class are always frustrating if you work best independently *cues Destiny Child’s Independent Women.* But there is a time and a place to be Queen Bey and your PR internship is neither. PR agency’s do an insane amount of teamwork. I’m assigned to 3 different teams (4 if you count my relationship with the other interns) and each has more than 4 people. Unlike classroom team projects, you don’t have the stress of wondering who the social loafer will be but you still need to adapt to different personalities and communication styles, quickly. I promise it makes seemingly insurmountable task much more manageable knowing you are not alone.
5. Note Taking isn’t Optional
Not taking notes during a meeting can make your life a nightmare. I’m talking “I had a dream I was Amanda Bynes” kind of nightmare. Unlike class there is no textbook to refer to when you zone out during a meeting or client call. You need to remain alert and in the loop at all times, and note taking is the best way to do that. It also shows your team members that you are proactive and engaged. Sure the notes from the first call I sat in on contained so many acronyms that I might as well have written them in Latin, but later I was able to go back and clarify that “JAE” didn’t stand for “just another employee.”
Things move fast when you leave the classroom and enter the cubicle. But many of the things you’ve dealt with in the classroom have lessons that will help you survive life outside of it. Just remember to. . .
First Step From the Classroom to the Cubicle
Posted by: | CommentsToday’s guest post is by Peppercomm intern and future PR star, Nick Gilyard.
Remember that one time it was your first day, of your first internship, of your first real PR practice outside of the classroom? Nope, me either. Although it’s been forever since I was “that guy”, (circa last Tuesday) these are five things I learned in my first week here at Peppercomm:
1. Classroom Time is not “Real-Time”.
In class, many of your professors will give you time (2-3 days, maybe even a week) to write out a well thought out pitch, blog post or handle some kind of simulated media relations crisis. This will not be the case when you enter the real world of PR. The account executives all around me are constantly creating, updating, responding and pitching content to and for clients. This can be shocking if you aren’t prepared for the switch, or unless you are Grumpy Cat.
2. Emails= Text Messaging for Adults.
Professors harp on you about texting (or Snapchatting) in class because they believe it distracts you from what’s going on in class. I’d argue that, minus the snapchatting, its actually good practice for the real world. Multitasking on the job is a must. The possibility that you may be interrupted at your desk or in a meeting by an email that requires an immediate response is very…very real. It’s like getting a text from (Insert name of your best friend here) that says “Cute (insert sex of best friend’s preference here) just walked into Starbucks. What should I do?!?!!?!” and taking forever to reply. In this scenario your best friend is upset until you promise to play the wingman/wingwoman later that night. In the work scenario, that text message was an email from a client/your boss and the repercussion for your tardiness may not be fixed with “Sry Girl, was in class. *frowny face* Still need my help <&hearts>?”[Send].
3. There Really is No Such Thing as a Dumb Question.
I’ve been hearing it since elementary school and never believed it… until now. If you are interning (at least at Crain’s voted NYC #1 place to work) you are encouraged to ask questions. Don’t assume you’re an Excel, Outlook or media list expert because A: Using a program one time in class doesn’t make you an expert and B: The company employees you’re working with DON’T expect you to be an expert. They want you to ask questions, so they can teach you. So don’t Google answers to your questions, just email or stroll on over to a real person for some advice. Also this may be a question you want to avoid.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of what Nick learned during his first week . . .
The Intern Spotlight
Posted by: | CommentsIn today’s post, meet Jamie Hogan – current Peppercomm intern and future PR star
1. Tell us about yourself- Where did you go to school, where are you from and what brought you to Peppercomm and PR?
I am originally from Rochester, NY and attended college at Oswego State University in Oswego, NY. I graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in creative writing. After spending the summer after school working at AT&T, specifically teaching people how to use the iPhone when it first launched, I moved to New York, NY without a job. I snuck in right before the economy took a turn for the worst and after temping at a few random places (Hermès and Sony stick out in my mind) I landed an interview at a fashion jewelry company and got the position. I started out as the showroom manager and after that, was promoted to an account executive. Although I worked at that company for over five years, I knew that job wasn’t exactly right for me and that feeling was solidified by a particularly bad experience. I started seeking out new opportunities in fields that I thought would be interesting and because of my background in journalism, public relations really stood out. I was lucky enough to be hired as an intern at Peppercomm about three months ago, and have enjoyed my experiences since then!
2. What area of the industry do you find most interesting and why?
Since I didn’t have any experience in public relations before this internship began, I actually find many aspects to be appealing! I’ve learned so much in this short period of time and I really think that there are a lot of exciting facets to the industry. As far as my accounts go, I really like the more “consumer-y” traditional PR projects and also enjoy helping out with new business research. And although I haven’t done much with it, I think the event-planning side is very interesting as well.
3. Any surprises or revelations about the industry?
One real surprise was learning some of the “behind the scenes” responsibilities that public relations professionals take on. For instance, it was amazing to learn that many times, it’s our team who is writing articles and answering questions on behalf of the accounts that are hiring us. I had to really wrap my head around that one! As one co-worker put it, “PR people run the world, and no one knows it.” I thought that was a fun way of describing it and it makes me feel like I’m part of an underground secret society.
4. Tell us about your proudest moment in the internship so far.
I’d say that my proudest moment so far was when a team member on one of my accounts gave me a shout-out during one of Peppercomm’s staff meetings. Getting recognized for something that I had done well made me feel great and really boosted my confidence. It was nice to know that my hard work had paid off.
5. Any favorite/inspiring case studies?
While it was before my time at Peppercomm, I remember reading about the Teenage Mutant Ninjas Turtles 25th Anniversary. For such an iconic brand to reemerge and spark nostalgia into fans by way of social media, I thought it was a great juxtaposition of new and old because of the innovative use of modern technology.
The Job Search
Posted by: | CommentsWe’re always asked about the process for interviewing for internship and entry-level positions. Essentially, sometimes the process seems to be a bit longer than one would imagine because we’re looking for the best fit for the position and Peppercomm.
To get more of a glimpse into what is happening across the board in terms of hiring, check out this article in The New York Times: With Positions to Fill, Employers Wait for Perfection.
Do you agree with the assessment?
The Intern Spotlight
Posted by: | Comments
In today’s post, meet Ali Pearce – current Peppercomm intern and future PR star.
1. Tell us about yourself- Where did you go to school, where are you from and what brought you to Peppercomm and PR?
My name is Ali Pearce and I’ve been interning at Peppercomm since September. I graduated from Elon University, a small liberal arts college in North Carolina, last May with a degree in Strategic Communications. I have always enjoyed working in teams and coming up with creative solutions to problems; therefore public relations was a perfect fit for me. Because it is an industry that encourages thinking outside of the box, I am constantly being challenged and continuously learning new ways to help our clients.
The culture at Peppercomm is unlike any other organization I have been a part of and immediately drew me into the company. The minute you step into the office, you can tell that everyone enjoys coming to work and because of that, the energy here is contagious. My interview flew by because I spent half of the time laughing with the intern committee. That’s when I knew I was sold and that Peppercomm was the place for me.
2. What area of the industry do you find most interesting and why?
I’m really interested in the digital side of public relations. Social media has revolutionized the industry by completely changing the relationship between brands and consumers. I love following the digital trends and learning new ways to build a brand’s presence through these social media platforms. One of my favorite aspects of this internship is working with Peppercomm’s internal digital team, PepperDigital.
3. Any surprises or revelations about the industry?
I think the biggest revelation about the industry for me was the different types of projects that we work on for our clients. Before working at Peppercomm, everything I knew about PR came from the classroom and my internship for an in-house PR department. Working for an agency is completely different; no two days are ever alike and you are constantly juggling different types of projects for a unique client base.
4. Tell us about your proudest moment in the internship so far.
One of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my internship thus far has been working for a foreign technology company. My team and I have been helping to establish a social media presence for this client. This has been difficult at times because of cultural differences and a differing of opinion on various topics. Drafting social media content for this client has taught me how to adjust my language and tone so that it matches my client’s audience, which I have come to learn is an essential skill in public relations. Overall, it has been rewarding every day to see an increase in engagement on the client’s Facebook page and to receive positive feedback from the client.
5. Any favorite/inspiring case studies?
I recently came across a Unicef campaign on Pinterest that really resonated with me. Pinterest is typically used as a platform for sharing things that you want in your closet, for your home or things that you want to cook or craft. Working off of this theme, Unicef created a fictional Pinterest account for Ami Musa, a 13 year old girl from Sierra Leone. Using this account, Unicef pinned items such as a cup of rice or clean drinking water to show the wants of a 13 year old living in poverty. These images stood out amongst the typical materialistic pins. Personally, this campaign forced me to think about those less fortunate about myself and instilled in me a desire to do something to help others instead of pinning another pair of shoes.
Don’t be boring in life, don’t be boring when applying
Posted by: | CommentsToday’s post is by fellow Peppercomm Intern Committee member, Jason Green.
If you operate under the assumption that no one strives to be thought of as boring, it is hard to figure out how we end up sifting through so many indistinguishable cover letters and resumes during hiring season. The content contained in each cover letter and resume is not always uninteresting, but I am talking about how it is presented.
We differentiate for a living – when positioning our clients and when it comes to our personal brands. So it is no surprise that we are looking for someone that can demonstrate the ability to differentiate themselves from the e-mail above and below them in the intern jobs inbox.
A few words of caution, there is good differentiation (let’s flag this e-mail and make sure to call them) and bad differentiation (forward this cover letter and resume to the agency e-mail distribution because it is wildly inappropriate). The faux Amazon site job application that garnered serious buzz on the web this week is a prime example of the type of thinking that we look for at Peppercomm for interns and full-time positions.
This application says a few things to me and my colleagues on the intern committee. This applicant is:
- Very creative
- Willing to take risks
- Tech-savvy (design and development)
- Likely to have a solid sense of humor
- Hardworking (he took the time to transform his resume into something awesome)
When we get the standard “to whom it may concern” e-mail it is equally telling. This candidate has likely not thoroughly browsed our website (we name the intern coordinator), probably does not understand the Peppercomm culture and might not have the ability to work in the integrated environment that Peppercomm transformed into.
There is a plethora of resources on our new website that would lead a truly interested candidate to send us an eye-brow raising application – our acquisition of creative services firm H20 (this isn’t traditional PR anymore, folks), our use of comedy training throughout the agency and with clients, the Audience Experience service offering that we recently launched, etc.
It could be a witty subject line, it could be a link to a blog that you maintain or a website / app you helped code, it could be a video submission, comment on our Facebook page, comment on one of our Instagrams, or go back to the future and send us something that is hand-written. I won’t give up too many ideas here, but you get the point.
Show us your skills and make it interesting and I can guarantee you will be hearing from us. Our industry has evolved and the way you apply for jobs changed right along with it. We look forward to hearing from you. The Amazon guy has reportedly received over 100 job offers…
Q&A Friday: Brian Blank
Posted by: | CommentsIn today’s post, we asked Brian Blank, Account Supervisor of Peppercomm and PepperDigital, how technology and social media trends are shaping the way we communicate as PR professionals.
Q. Tell us a little bit about your role at Peppercomm.
A. My role is unique in the way that it straddles both the digital side of the agency along with the communication side of what agency. I primarily work as a consultant with our clients on a variety of areas and ways they can leverage digital media in a strategic way to carry their messages to a variety of audiences. This runs the gamut too – from developing and maintaining social media thought leadership programs to developing strategies for specific platforms. I also help out my accounts with strategic communication work, from writing PR plans and press releases to pitching news.
Q. What drew you to digital and social media?
A. I went to college here in the Silicon Valley and cut my PR teeth in the startup world. I was lucky enough to be on the “front lines” of emerging tech over the years and just loved to find out more about the tools and gadgets coming on the market each day. The digital world is all around us whether or not we choose to participate in social media and provides incredible opportunities for brand to reach new and existing audiences in a variety of ways.
For me, I found the tools fascinating as social media accelerated the feedback loop and changed the way companies interacted with customers. Technology allowed communication to evolve in ways we didn’t even imagine 10-15 years ago. I have always had a fascination for technology and gadgets and I believe this was one of the reasons why I was drawn to the digital and social realm.
How have recent developments and trends in digital and social media changed the PR landscape?
A. For better or worse, it has changed things dramatically, but PR and communications has been evolving for the last 30 years. The advent of the fax machine and email revolutionized the industry just as much as Twitter or Facebook does today. Although with social media we’ve become more open in many ways and sometimes share way too much information. But at the end of the day, we’re talking about tools here and Facebook is a tool, not a strategy. You still need solid counsel and support that matches your business objectives to be successful. The tools will continue to change, so look at the big picture and think critically and creatively.
Q. What skills should today’s PR students be sure to master if they are interested in a career in digital?
A. You have to be comfortable with the technology. As a society, it is becoming a part of our daily lives and you have to be able to know how to use it and be willing to get out of your comfort zone to try new things. Since technology continues to evolve, you have to be able to think about creative ways to solve problems. Think about what tools your client could use to reach their objectives.
Q. What are some basic rules that PR professionals should keep in mind when using social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook for work?
A. Separate your personal use from your professional use as much as possible, because a hilarious tweet you want to share with your friends late on a Friday night might not be so funny if you accidentally post on your client’s Twitter handle. Another thing is that it is OK to keep boundaries between your accounts. You don’t have to follow your boss on Facebook but it might make sense to do so on Twitter or LinkedIn. I use my Facebook page as my personal page for friends and family and really only add my coworkers if they become close friends. I open my LinkedIn and Twitter accounts for professional use and prefer it that way.
Q. What one piece of advice do you have for those just starting their careers in PR?
A. Get started with internships early on and try a few. You might not love agency life but excel working at a non-profit. The experiences will help shape you professionally and will make you a more rounded candidate for your chosen career field. Learn to be a rock star researcher, because you will always be called upon to know a lot about a variety of topics and the quicker you can get up to speed, the more valuable you will be.
A day in the life
Posted by: | CommentsWe love “day in the life” stories. It’s a great way to gain good insight into a company and see what you could potentially be doing in a position with your dream organization.
One of our summer interns with our Business Outcomes division did just that and reflected on some of his tasks while on the team. Read his post on the Washington and Lee University website and learn a bit more about our Business Outcomes team.
The PR Intern’s Trifecta: Organizing, Prioritizing, and Communicating with Managers
Posted by: | CommentsToday’s post is by Peppercom intern, Jackie DiMauro–future PR star and current organizer extraordinaire.
Today, a fellow intern asked me, “Hey! I know you are the queen of planners, where can I get a good one around here?”
Cue the horns, fireworks and fist pumps.
Oh, me? Why thank you. I really AM the queen of planners, aren’t I?
Let’s just say I’d usually feel bad for anyone who stumbled across my color-coded planner, but this was the greatest compliment someone could give an organized-crazed person such as me.
I always carry a planner/journal, a calendar and an iPhone to organize and prioritize my day-to-day life. I started doing this in college when I was juggling six classes, a full-time internship, and somewhat of a social life. Now, even though I’m out of school, these prioritization skills are still relevant and necessary, especially in PR.
My planner helps with many things, including:
- Keeping track of my time and how long I work on projects.
- Prioritizing current assignments and staying on top of deadlines.
- Staying prepared for meetings.
- Having a visual of my workload.
When you’re constantly prepared for meetings and meeting deadlines, it shows you’re serious about the position and the company. Your managers DO notice these things and they WILL respect you more.
But remember: it’s not only important to be organized and prioritize your workload as an intern, but also to be interactive with your co-workers and team members.
Starting at a new place, we interns may not know the best person to turn to if we have questions and we definitely don’t want to step on any toes. Should we lean on fellow interns? How about an AE? Dare I ask upper management? Sure, any of the aforementioned titles have a time and place to answer questions, especially depending on how closely you work with someone, but interns shouldn’t be afraid to communicate with management.
I’m not saying ask your management supervisor where to find a pen, but if you have a question about an account you’re on or a positive idea to share during a team meeting– then by all means say it! Being proactive and contributing thoughts to the people in power will only help an intern in the long run. It will also help gain the trust and respect of fellow team members who are above you.
Personally, it feels great to interact with upper management, or clients, and be considered a team player. It shows a level of professionalism, that as interns, we strive for.
So go out to your nearest Staples or Barnes & Noble, grab a nice, new, neat planner, and start organizing and prioritizing your workload. And, at your next team meeting, try to contribute an idea or story you’ve come across. Not only will you feel great, but your actions will speak volumes to your team members and managers.
