By Katrina Lockhart, Intern
Like a lot of folks last year, I was laid off. And after five years at the same company, it was a little bit of a shock. I’m currently completing my B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Arizona, and over the last few years, I’ve taken public relations courses that have provided some great insight into the world of PR. Before it dawned on me to try an internship, I took some time to enjoy the little things such as the succulents in my backyard.
My last position was more marketing- and advertising-focused, and although I didn’t have prior PR agency experience other than what I learned in school, I thought an internship might be my next best fit. An internship is great for college students, new grads, or people looking to change careers. Fortunately, The Hoffman Agency was hiring interns. I applied. I interviewed. I am here. Being a part of the 2021 Winter Cohort allows me to get my hands dirty in the fascinating, high-paced, world of PR. This internship has been a great opportunity to learn ground-up everything about public relations.
As a part of the welcome to my new gig, the Agency sent me a small succulent for my desk. It adds satisfying visuals to help me adjust to the new world of work-from-home. This is a simple reminder to enjoy the little things and is providing a good workspace that aids with my creativity and productivity. During the first few weeks at Hoffman, I found myself feeling in my element while doing research — everything from an editorial calendar hunt or an ask to compile a media list. However, duties such as meeting follow-up notes come less naturally and have taken me a while to get into the groove of with the new terminology and methodology.
Even though I haven’t gotten the hang of every task yet, the best part of my internship has been that I am learning from professionals through every step of the process. They’re all open to giving me feedback, so I can sharpen my skills. One of my biggest goals in life is to see the glass half-full, needing new information to be poured in. So with that being said, I enjoy having critiques that will enhance my performance and support my skills and knowledge. Before coming to Hoffman, I had little experience in the semiconductor industry. Now, I use semiconductor terminology regularly when searching for industry coverage and during my media monitoring activities.
Each of my accounts are unique — like my succulent plants — but really at the core they are all the same. I look forward to learning and growing during this internship. The end goal is to work in PR full-time and give my clients top-tiered service and creative solutions.
