By Elise Harrell, Account Coordinator
Well, my internship officially ended on August 31, 2021. It was a four-month internship, and I truly learned more about PR in that time than I ever learned in college. I hate to say it, but until you’re working in the field and being at the forefront of it all, there’s really nothing quite like it. That said, I’m incredibly grateful that I was given the opportunity to intern with The Hoffman Agency, which ultimately led to me landing a job and getting to stay here longer! How lucky am I?
Anyway, on to the important stuff. I did more than I ever could have imagined in this internship. Some of the client work was daunting, such as helping with my first client-facing PR deck. It was challenging, stressful and intimidating, but after doing it I felt like end-of-month reports were a piece of cake. This is what I love most about Hoffman. Every assignment I’m given better equips me for what’s next. It sets me up for, quite frankly, success.
Now, if you were to ask me what my favorite part of the internship was, I would probably say the internship cohort meetings. Our cohort met once a week, and it was a time where we could talk about anything and everything. From reality TV shows to challenges we’re facing on our accounts; it was a blast getting to know the other interns and colleagues who would join the meetings.
I’ve learned a lot about the PR industry during this internship, but I would say one of my biggest takeaways is the importance of relationship-building with media. I find that by communicating, not once, but several times even if it means calling the journalist, they really appreciate it if you take the time to build a relationship with them. It goes without saying, but it’s also important to show that you care about what the journalist is currently writing and their coverage plans.
My favorite task during my internship was working on a major announcement for one of my accounts. We did a lot of pre and post outreach to media regarding the news and received a plausible amount of coverage. It was exciting to see our hard work pay off!
One piece of advice I received during my internship that really stuck with me was that it’s OK to ask for help. I think as an intern, there’s a stigma around “you can’t say no” and you must work as hard as you possibly can if you want a job after the internship. While working hard is important, overdoing it impacts both you and your team. This will lead to a potential decrease in your quality of work and simply just add more stress. While I initially said yes to taking on most things, I have learned that if I have too much on my plate, it is OK to voice that to my teams.
If you’re looking to start a career in tech PR, my biggest advice is, you absolutely should consider an internship. I know that the idea of it may sound scary but trust me when I say you don’t have to know everything before starting out. I knew virtually nothing about tech PR before my internship here at Hoffman. I learned as I went, and I’m still learning and will probably always be learning. As they say, you must start somewhere.
