Category: Entry-Level PR Job

Meet Nathan, Clairemont Intern

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As a rising senior, I am majoring in communication with a concentration in public relations and a minor in entrepreneurship. Apparently, I am the first intern that Clairemont has had from Western Carolina University (the best university this side of the Mississippi), so I am excited to bring a rural flavor to the City of Oaks!

How Did I Get Started?

I originally hail from the great state of Washington and have always been known for my outgoing and often goofy attitude. Known as the class clown throughout my days in grade school, when I finally got to college I figured that I needed to do something social that involved lots of interaction. I felt that communication could be one of my skills, but I really couldn’t discern between the many fields within the major. So, I put down public relations on my application and hoped for the best.

It wasn’t until I attended my first PRSSA National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia during my first semester that I found out what PR really was and how it is connected to writing, speaking and design. Now, I am president of my school’s chapter of PRSSA and cannot wait to be a part of the new wave of public relations professionals.

What’s to Like about PR?

Communication, for me, is not just about messages and how people send, receive and perceive them. I love communication because I love language. I have a deep love for writing and how it enables one to mold and craft the human language. I decided my passion for language was what I wanted to pursue, and I didn’t need to look past this field to utilize that passion. If you stop and look around, you can see miscommunication everywhere in the world. It is shocking to see how many problems exist that could easily be solved with better communication. One of my professors has always said that anything in life starts with good communication. In any field of work and with any task, one must always start with communication to ensure everything else can happen.

I love PR because it gives me the opportunity to connect with people and solve problems. I get to learn about ideas and concepts from all walks of life while challenging myself to come up with innovative solutions and worthwhile initiatives. Human connection is what drives all interaction in this world, so why not be at the crossroads of it all?

As a Sidenote…

I direct a lot of my passion for writing to music. I have been playing bass guitar and writing music for almost 10 years. Seeing live music is my biggest hobby, and I strive to spend as much time as I can seeing my favorite local small-time and big-time bands. If I am not jamming out to punk rock or 60s classics, you can find me enjoying a craft beer or taking a hike in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.

Written by Clairemont intern Nathan McDaniel, a rising senior at Western Carolina University

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Meet Lindsey, Clairemont Intern

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Fashion has been something that has always captured my attention. From the time my mom gave me a purse that read “I Love Shoes” for Christmas to my very first designer anything, I’ve been obsessed and completely infatuated with the culture and creativity behind the fashion industry.

As I grew up, I soon realized that I, unfortunately, didn’t inherit the artist gene that basically every other member of my family had. So I quickly had to consider and learn other areas of the fashion industry that I could pursue.

Having moved to Asheville, North Carolina from New Jersey made me realize some key changes in the culture around me, especially within fashion. It taught me a lot about how to pursue a dream and stay true to what you believe in although it may be challenging when faced with criticism from your peers.

Then, during my sophomore year of high school, I got the opportunity to tour Diane von Furstenberg’s corporate headquarters. I knew right then that I wanted nothing more than to work in the fashion industry and decided fashion journalism was the path I wanted to take.

A Change of Pace

After spending countless hours honing my reporting skills through high school and into my freshman year of college, I came to the conclusion that the journalism industry wasn’t a fit. I switched from studying reporting to PR and haven’t regretted a single second of pursuing a career in this industry.

This past summer I had the opportunity to intern and live in New York City, which has always been the city of my dreams. I’m pretty positive it took me all summer to even realize I was actually living out my dream in my dream city. It taught me an incredible amount about PR in general but, more importantly, about my own drive and work ethic. Diving right in to an industry in a brand new city is hard, but I can’t even begin to describe how valuable an experience like that is for a young professional.

Why I Love the PR Industry

I think that the PR industry has so much room for creativity, and how dependent it is on person-to-person interaction isn’t something you find in every career. It’s fun, it’s fulfilling, and most importantly, it’s important; after dipping my toes into my first internship, I took away the idea that really every brand or client relies on the work PR practitioners establish. Everything from social media to traditional news articles are intertwined and codependent, thanks to the work that goes in from the PR side.

Now after returning back to my second home at UNC-Chapel Hill, I have been able to understand so much more about why I love PR. I am so excited to continue working with it while interning at Clairemont Communications this semester.

Written by Lindsey Hoover, junior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Meet Elizabeth, Clairemont Intern

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At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s first-year orientation, students meet with an academic advisor to discuss what they hope to study at the university (and, by extension, pursue for the rest of their lives). Unfortunately, this meeting was a stressful experience for a rising first-year student who had no idea what she wanted to study.

An Undecided Start

With theater as one of her passions in high school, Elizabeth performs the title role in the spring 2014 production of "Cinderella."
With theater as one of her passions in high school, Elizabeth performing the title role in the spring 2014 production of “Cinderella.”

In high school, I had lots of interests: English literature and writing, environmental science, theater, psychology … even some parts of chemistry were fun. My interests were extensive, but I wasn’t ready to commit to any of them. I received very mixed messages due to my uncertainty. Wise adults (mainly family members) assured me that it’s completely normal to enter into college undecided and that I would figure it out in time.

Elizabeth's orientation group poses for a creative photo competition during her first-year orientation on June 27, 2014.
Elizabeth’s orientation group during a creative photo competition during her first-year orientation on June 27, 2014.

These words of reassurance were directly opposed on that fateful orientation day in that unpleasant academic advising meeting when I sat with a girl who knew exactly what she wanted to study before attending one class. As she talked with the advisor while I patiently waited my turn, I couldn’t help but envy her situation. She spoke with such confidence in what she would study, and the advisor neatly and excitedly outlined her next four years. When it was my turn, I stammered awkwardly that I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, and the advisor similarly stammered that I could focus on getting my general education requirements out of the way first.

I left the meeting feeling discouraged and frustrated. I turned to the girl with whom I shared the meeting, and I asked her what exactly her intended major was, since I had never heard of it before. Basically, she explained to me, public relations is the clean-up crew for when a company has a crisis. I felt shocked to learn of the existence of such a field, and I felt intrigued by the wide variety of classes that encompassed the public relations major – history, political science, economics, journalism. Little did I know that day I became (very informally) introduced to what is now my passion.

A Deepened Relationship

Elizabeth discusses her work as a communications intern with local non-profit BikeWalk NC to fellow students at a conference in April 2016 through the UNC-CH School of Social Work.
Elizabeth as a communications intern with local non-profit BikeWalk NC at a conference in April 2016 through the UNC-CH School of Social Work.

Since that orientation day over three years ago, my relationship with public relations has deepened rapidly and dramatically. I declared the major in my second semester after taking an introductory journalism class and speaking to professors about this mysterious field. Through the award-winning UNC School of Media and Journalism and its dedicated faculty, I learned the rules, practices, materials and importance of the field. My sophomore year, I worked as a communications intern for an advocacy non-profit for bicycling and walking, and the next year I experienced the fast-paced nature of a public relations agency, juggling projects for diverse clients ranging from restaurants to healthcare providers. Every experience in and out of the classroom affirmed for me that I had made the right decision. I found something I was good at and enjoyed doing.

Public Relations and I: An unexpected match 

Reflecting on my academic life at UNC-CH, I’m glad that my path to finding public relations was a process and not a pre-determined script. I allowed myself to explore the field, which made my choice to pursue it all the more thoughtful and rewarding. As I’m still the girl who has an interest in so many things, I take comfort and joy in knowing that public relations will allow me to follow any of those interests. To every field I explore, I aim to bring the public relations skills I’ve acquired to help build stronger, better organizations, whether they’re in theater, education, environmental issues … but maybe not chemistry this time.

Written by Clairemont intern, Elizabeth Comtois, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

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Friday Five- The 5 P’s for Your Next job Interview

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Congratulations! You’ll be graduating from college before you know it, and you’ll have the chance to astound the world with your knowledge, talents and abilities.

As a recent grad, you will face the interview stage–the nerve-wrecking interview stage. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by job interviews and even a little intimidated. Here are my five interview tips on how to make your ideas shine while making sure that the importance of appearance and first impressions aren’t forgotten.

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