Tag: Internships

Internships (Part 2): One or Many?

Cherith AndesBlog, Professional Development, Public Relations, , , ,

Internship Hopping: should interns pursue one long internship or several shorter gigs?
Part two of a two-part blog on internships from Clairemont’s own fantastic intern, Carly Griffin.

It’s clear: one of the most important benefits of an internship outside the classroom is the opportunity to develop a long-term relationship with a company.

But what is more important: interning for one agency for an extended period of time or dipping into a variety of agencies throughout multiple internships?

Revisit the Reason

In a world where students have taken up sports, joined clubs and racked up volunteer hours solely for the purpose of building up their resumes, we have forgotten the reasons behind the actions. Sports weren’t created to be a point on a resume; they are created for exercise and learning teamwork. Volunteerism isn’t for cushioning a cover letter; it’s for nurturing and giving back to a community.

Concurrently, don’t approach an internship as just another item on your graduation checklist. It’s not worth it.

What are you investing?

Whether you intern at one place for an extended period of time or hop from one internship to another, it’s vital that you fully commit yourself to that experience. You get out of it what you put in. One quality internship can be just as beneficial as a resume stacked with a multitude of positions. If you are getting great experience and learning a lot at one place, there is no need to stress about finding a litany of internships just to fill your resume.

However, there is something to be said for interning at a variety of companies. According to Statista.com, twenty-nine percent of college graduates wish they had interned more during their college careers. If you are still unsure of the kind of job you want, quantity can help. Like sampling ice cream flavors (and with the same gusto, of course), it can be beneficial to intern at several companies that provide a different environment and experience. You don’t want to end up signing a work contract and then having the job equivalent of buyer’s remorse.

The Final Word

So, after my internal debate that fateful night at the dinner table with my dad, I am happy to say that I have gained so much more than just PR experience from my internships. I’ve gained insight into a professional world, I’ve learned the importance of building professional relationships, and I’ve discovered what interests me and what does not. I believe that the time I have spent interning (not the number of internships I have had) will help me compete with other, more experienced, professionals when I enter the job market after graduation.

Sound off: what advice do you have for college interns? Invest in one internship or pursue several?

 

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CLAIREMONT INTERNS: INTRODUCING SAM HALLE

Margot HorganBlog, The Clairemont Team, , , , , , 1 Comment on CLAIREMONT INTERNS: INTRODUCING SAM HALLE

Clairemont intern Margot Pien sat down with fellow intern Sam Halle to learn a little bit more about her. Help Margot and Clairemont welcome Sam!

This week, I sat down with Sam Halle, who is one of the two interns I am working alongside at Clairemont Communications this fall. After chatting about school, our past experiences and discovering a mutual love for otters (seriously – she adopted an otter for a year at a local park when she was a kid), I’m here to tell you what I learned about Sam.

A senior at UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Tar Heels!), Sam is a Journalism & Mass Communication major, with a concentration in public relations. She is also pursuing a second major in public policy and a minor in psychology. It’s hard to keep track of all the organizations and activities she has been involved in during the past few years, but they include:

  • Interning at Ogilvy & Mather in Chicago as a strategic brand planner this past summer (where she got to explore all of Chicago’s free concert offerings)
  • Interning in Vietnam last summer with a client of a venture capital firm
  • Serving as chapter director of Camp Kesem NC, which is a free camp run by UNC-CH and Duke University for kids with parents affected by cancer
  • Serving as PR chair of UNC-CH’s Order of the Bell Tower
  • Guest writing for the website “HelloGrief.org,” which she helped develop while in high school

Phew, that was quite the list. Is there anything that girl doesn’t do? Want to know more about Sam? Here are few more facts:

  • She’s from Richmond, Virginia (not too far from my Maryland home)
  • Sam loves the Dave Matthews Band and even met Dave himself after he came to UNC-CH to perform on a special taping of The Late Show With Jimmy Fallon (side note: the episode featured President Barack Obama – watch Jimmy and Barack Slow Jam the News)
  • She’s a vegetarian who, oddly enough, lives with 3 other vegetarians (and 2 meat-eaters)
  • She loves coffee, chocolate, concerts and rollercoasters
  • When Sam was a kid, she once got her long hair stuck in a vacuum while doing some chores. She had to cut her long locks off after that
  • She loved living in Vietnam during her internship last summer – she fondly recalls buying fruit on the street and visiting amazing beaches
  • Her family just got an adorable Golden Retriever puppy named Zuko (as in Grease’s Danny). I saw a photo and I can vouch that the puppy’s extremely cute

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My First 30 Days at a Raleigh PR Agency: Days 9 and 10

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Public Relations, , , , ,

A little more than two months ago, I was still an intern at Clairemont, but as a full-time employee, it is now one of my responsibilities to help manage our three new summer interns, Erin, Erica and Emily (our “E” interns). It has taken some getting used to being on the other side of this relationship, but I’m finally feeling more at ease giving the directions instead of taking them.

Of course, managing interns has taken some practice, and I haven’t always been the best leader. It takes time to delegate and explain tasks, but in the end, having these women in the office has been a huge help, and they make such a great addition to our team! Here’s a little list of the top things I have learned from our interns:

  • Don’t forget to check in and make sure they have work! Just last week, I left one of our “E” interns without a task. Our interns are quick workers so don’t forget to keep track of their progress!
  • Interns are invaluable when it comes to completing a seemingly endless to-do list. Many hands make light work!
  • Our interns have introduced us to a lot of great new apps. With so many apps available, we love new suggestions to help make our lives more convenient and fun!
  • I’m not as good at explaining things as I thought I was. I might know how to do something, but not necessarily explain the task very well to our interns. This is an on-going lesson and work in progress!

When I was an intern, I didn’t realize how much I helped with day-to-day tasks, but in hindsight, I can see how much interns really do contribute to agency work. We are very lucky to have Erin, Erica and Emily working with us this summer. Keep posted because we will be introducing each of them to you in our blog over the next few days!

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