By Jayla Curtis, Intern
My journey as a Hoffman intern was just the right mix of challenge, fun and growth. I’ll admit I was nervous to start my career in PR in an industry as complex as tech, but the kindness and support of my team members at Hoffman made my transition smooth. I can’t believe how much I have learned in just three short months, and I am excited to use the foundational skills I have gained here for many years to come.
One of the best things about interning at Hoffman — and my favorite part — is that you can learn from your peers. Everyone is happy to spread their knowledge and educate you about all things PR. You can feel the camaraderie and support through a computer screen! Everything I learned about PR came from my team members’ willingness to teach me. Some great advice I have gotten is that it’s OK not to understand everything initially. You can never learn anything new if you think you already know it all! It’s important to continue practicing and challenging yourself to try new and unfamiliar things.
One of my biggest takeaways is that leaning on your team is needed in agency life. We all worked together and played a role in our achievements. Teamwork really makes the dream work, and communication is a top priority!
Another huge takeaway is that things may get a little crazy in PR, so having exceptional time-management and multitasking skills is a must! I learned how to effortlessly shift from writing social media copy to crafting a briefing sheet in seconds. The workload had a life of its own and shifted day by day.
Social media had my heart throughout this experience. Some of my favorite tasks were drafting social copy and searching for new content to post. I knew going into my internship that I was eager to work on digital, but getting the opportunity to try it in a professional setting solidified my interest.
I would advise anyone starting out in PR to try everything you can! Don’t shy away from opportunities because you never know what may interest you! Also, tech may sound daunting at first, but you might be surprised to see how much you can retain in just a few short months of client meetings, team internals and consistent work. I know I was! My advice is don’t let it scare you, because you get more out of failure than never trying at all!
