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Tag: interns

New Kid on The Block

New Kid on The Block

May 21, 2019January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, PR People, The Clairemont Teamhistory, interns, internship, story, Storytelling

When asked to write my first blog post for Clairemont, I was prompted to consider why I chose to do an internship in public relations. What made me want to be a part of Clairemont?  I reflected on this question for a while. “Why are you here?” is a pretty daunting question for anyone, including a 21-year old college student, to answer on a Monday morning. I hadn’t decided what a wanted for lunch yet, let alone my future! It took more than a few trips to the Clairemont coffee machine to really begin to formulate how I was going to respond to such a question. In the end, I think I found my answer:

I’m doing it for the story.

Since I’m now in the summer before my senior year, I’m starting to get the ever-pressing question “What do you want to do after college?” Those questions typically come right after I tell them I’m a double major in history and communication, both of which don’t traditionally inspire a particularly high level of post-college-employment confidence. If I had to pick a job, any job in the world, it would be something that uses my passion for telling stories. To that end, I fully hope and expect that my time here at Clairemont will allow me to take my passion for writing and telling stories and turn it into more than just a passion. I am truly excited for this upcoming summer, and I cannot wait to help tell stories and create some new ones as well!

In the meantime, you should check out another blog post Clairemont has published all about compelling stories. Check it out!

Written by Intern Will Hornbeck, a rising senior at Wake Forest University

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Meet Anna, Clairemont Intern

Meet Anna, Clairemont Intern

September 18, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, The Clairemont TeamClairemont Communications, clairemont intern, interns, PR internship, professional developmentLeave a Comment on Meet Anna, Clairemont Intern

From Pre-Med to PR

As a freshman, I came to college with a lot of uncertainty in regards to what I wanted to spend the next four years of my life studying. I thought for sure, however, that my degree would be in the field of science. Perhaps I would earn a Bachelor of Science in biology with plans to go to nursing school, medical school or dental school. Four years later, I’m a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in advertising with a minor in cognitive science. What happened, you ask?

The Transformation

After taking an introductory biology course paired with a lab and a statistics course my first semester, I soon realized that science wasn’t for me. I learned the hard way that college level science courses were a bit more advanced than the standard high school curriculum. Hoping to find a subject I was passionate about, I spent the following semesters taking various classes to fulfill my general education requirements. I found psychology interesting and picked up a cognitive science minor along the way. By the end of my sophomore year, I still wasn’t sure what vocation I wanted to pursue. Naturally, I was confused and began to panic.

Soon after, I walked into academic advising to declare my major to advertising through the UNC-CH School of Media and Journalism on a whim, not having taken a single class within the discipline. I heard great things about the program and the professors, but I simply hoped for the best.

The Transformed

The rest was history, and the best came. I have highly enjoyed all of the courses I have taken and the skills I’ve gained during my time as a journalism student. From working with Cartier in a creative advertising course to traveling to China on a global immersion program to learn about how the advertising, PR and journalism industries function in a communist country, the experiences I have gained will prove useful in all of my future career endeavors.

Not only do I have my professors to thank but also my internship opportunities that have provided me with real-world experience within the advertising, PR and marketing industries. As an intern at Clairemont Communications, I hope to expand upon my knowledge in the PR industry by working closely with clients to help them achieve their business goals. From creating social media campaigns to delivering media pitches and assisting with long-awaited grand openings of businesses, I am excited to meet new people and learn new things.

As they say at UNC-CH, “The ceiling is the roof.” At Clairemont, I hope to achieve new heights.

Written by Clairemont Intern Anna Ostrowski, a senior at UNC.

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Meet Kaitlyn, Clairemont Intern

Meet Kaitlyn, Clairemont Intern

September 12, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, The Clairemont TeamClairemont Communications, interns, Public RelationsLeave a Comment on Meet Kaitlyn, Clairemont Intern

The dream job

Bakery owner. First-grade teacher. Founder of a dog and cat rescue. Novelist. If you asked me today what my dream job is, I would probably say one of these or something similar to it — without much thought or consideration mostly because these jobs are simple to define and palatable. Additionally, each job caters to big loves of mine: desserts, kids, animals and writing. However, it wouldn’t be entirely true of me to say that my dream job was a bakery owner or novelist.

Within a few years of any one of these jobs I would be bored. That’s not much of a dream job, is it?

How I found it

Early in my sophomore year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I started to have doubts about the degree in global studies I was pursuing. It was too similar to my political science major, and I felt limited both creatively and in the opportunities available to me. I decided to take two classes in the School of Media and Journalism just to see if I would like the material — and I loved it. I was immediately captivated with public relations, in part because the classes and faculty offered an environment where I felt valued and truly learned, but even more so because I finally realized that my true dream job is in communications. In May of 2019, I’ll graduate with a bachelor’s degree in media and journalism and a bachelor’s degree in political science.

As a public relations practitioner I could work on a bakery’s grand opening or do media relations for an elementary school getting state-of-the-art technology. I could work on the website and newsletter for an animal shelter or arrange readings for a novelist at smaller, intimate bookstores to debut their books. Essentially, in public relations, I would have the opportunity to put on a new hat, work with new people and tackle new problems every day.

How I’ll get it

Despite spending much of the past few years in a classroom or library, I’ve always had a fascination with life and an eagerness to see as much of the world and meet as many people as possible. This has fueled my love of traveling — most recently to London — and my love of books that share exciting stories and ideas. It also makes coming home to my family and friends in the western mountains of North Carolina that much sweeter.

I hope to bring that fascination and eagerness to Clairemont, putting life and energy into each of my projects. I know that my time at Clairemont will be full of learning opportunities, new people and new ideas — just some more of my favorite things. I am excited and humbled to be working at an agency that can give detailed care to its clients, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish at Clairemont in the months ahead. I know this internship will better prepare me for my dream job in public relations.

Written by Clairemont intern Kaitlyn Karcher, a senior at UNC.

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Quality Over Quantity: Why I Stuck with Clairemont

Quality Over Quantity: Why I Stuck with Clairemont

February 13, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont TeamClairemont Communications, creative PR agency, interns, PR Internships, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency

It wasn’t long before I knew I really liked working at Clairemont. Within the first week, I dove head-first into follow-up calls, blog posts and coverage reports – the building blocks of PR that I’d practiced in classes and previous internships.

James Huff, chef at Babalu Tapas & Tacos, teaches WRAL’s Kathy Hanrahan how to make its delicious guacamole in the week before the restaurant’s opening.

What captured me most about Clairemont, however, was the opportunities it provided me to interact directly with clients. On my second day, I met a Clairemont team member at Babalu Tapas & Tacos, a Chapel Hill restaurant for which Clairemont planned a grand opening. I witnessed media interviews, listened to Clairemont strategize with the Babalu marketing team and talked with the owner about his journey to Chapel Hill.

In essence, I quickly learned that Clairemont was a good fit for me.

Throughout the fall semester, I gained on-site experience with various clients and strengthened my writing, pitching and researching skills. I felt challenged and excited by the work; I felt proud of what I produced and eager to learn from the Clairemont team. Clairemont’s welcoming and intimate environment allowed me to feel not only part of the team but also at home.

So, naturally, I didn’t want my time with Clairemont to end when the fall semester did. I decided to extend my internship through the spring semester, a decision that marks the purpose of this post. Aside from simply enjoying the workplace, there are valuable reasons to lengthen an internship, especially one with a PR agency.

Why Stay?

Students pose with Andy Valkanoff, owner of Triangle Dairy Queen, who launched their award-winning Blizzard contraption at the DQ Upside-Down or Free Competition.

Improve the quality of your work: Products you create are stronger and completed more quickly when you know what your clients need and what your supervisors expect. You learn these things with time, so the longer you stay with an internship, the faster you’ll be able to churn out work that satisfies those needs.

Deepen the nature of your work: Fully understanding your clients and their PR needs can take months. With that sound familiarity under your belt, you can deepen your involvement with them by taking on bigger projects and greater responsibilities. You may even play a larger hand at strategizing campaigns for clients, which furthers your experience as a PR pro.

Strengthen connections: It’s no secret that relationships also develop with time. Lengthening your internship experience allows you to cultivate client relationships that are built on communication, understanding and trust. You’ll also strengthen connections with your coworkers and supervisors, who serve as mentors on the job and key resources for career guidance.

The Clairemont team showcases its hard work recognized at the 2017 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication.

Moreover, deciding to stay with an internship signals that you’re in tune with yourself. As you move through different work experiences, you discover which elements create your dream workplace. Especially in the PR world, no two agencies operate identically; each has its own culture, clients, specialties, employees … you get the picture. Embrace the variety, and recognize when an internship aces your checklist.

I’m thankful for Clairemont’s significant role in my blossoming PR career. It’s great to be back.

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

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Meet Elizabeth, Clairemont Intern

Meet Elizabeth, Clairemont Intern

September 6, 2017January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, The Clairemont TeamClairemont Communications, interns, Introduction, Raleigh PR Agency, student, UNC

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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