Tag: public relations internships

Clairemont Interns: Introducing Erin Owenby

Margot HorganBlog, The Clairemont Team, , , 2 Comments on Clairemont Interns: Introducing Erin Owenby

This semester, we have three wonderful interns working with us at Clairemont and we can’t wait to introduce them to you. In a bit of a team building exercise, we asked our interns – Erin Owenby, Sydney McKinney and Natalie Baker – to interview each other and share some background information (and some fun facts!) with you, our blog readers. Sydney recently sat down with Erin and learned some pretty interesting facts…

erinBorn and raised in Asheville, this North Carolina native bleeds Tar Heel blue.  She loves going to sports games and is into country music, sweet tea and all things Josh Lucas (remember the hunk from Sweet Home Alabama?). But, those are just the quirks—this PR junkie also has a diverse background in the industry.

A public relations major at UNC Chapel Hill, Erin has done it all! She’s organized events for several nonprofits, coordinated logistics for a wedding planning agency and has somehow managed to work two part time jobs in the meantime.

Want to know more about Erin? Here are some of the details:

  • She loves cheese. Parmesan’s her favorite food—she eats it daily.
  • She is currently reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen for her third time. Why? Because she’s a die-hard classics fanatic.
  • In her spare time, she likes to paint furniture. Most recently, she painted a shelf for her room in coral and cream.
  • This girl loves to exercise! She goes to spin class every week at 6:30 in the morning, has run a marathon and is training for another half marathon in February.
  • She claims to be a tomboy. BUT she wears purple dresses and bows in her hair to Clairemont.
  • More fun facts? She’s a dog person; loves Mexican food; dreams of going to Europe; drives a stick shift; would choose the mountains over the beach any day; enjoys salty food more than sweet; and has a slight obsession with Snapchat.

So where does Erin see herself in the next year? Working in an agency setting and living in a large city—preferably New York or Washington D.C. But that’s not all. Erin’s wants to remain involved with Building Tomorrow, a nonprofit that raises money to help build primary schools for underprivileged children in Uganda. In fact, she’s going there this summer to visit schools that she helped raise support for over the past three years.

As for her time at Clairemont, Erin is interested in learning more about the client-agency relationship, applications of public relations in real world scenarios and the ins and outs of what it takes to be a successful agency. So, cheers to Erin and our adventure here at Clairemont! I can’t wait to see what this semester has in store for both of us!

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How to Get an Internship at a PR Agency

Josephine ButlerBlog, Professional Development, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, , , , , , , , , ,

Our intern Erin Kelley not only landed an internship here at Clairemont – she also wants to share a few tips with you on how to do the same! Isn’t she sweet?

This could be your desk, too!

In the public relations field, internships are crucial for networking and eventually landing your dream job. Since I went through the internship process recently, I thought I would share six easy steps that helped me find my place at Clairemont:

  1. Research: Searching through massive amounts of internship postings and websites can be stressful and overwhelming at first. If you’re doing a Google search, try to narrow it down first by location, then by interest. Just from my experience, your best bet is networking. Don’t be afraid to connect to public relations agencies through social media! I actually found out about the Clairemont internship program from then-intern Margot Horgan’s post on the UNC Public Relations Facebook page.
  2. Understand the application process: Unless an agency specifically states otherwise, it is usually a safe bet to include your cover letter in the body of the email, with your resume attached. Employers may also want writing samples from past internships or class assignments, so choose from your best work! I usually include a news release and then something that shows my creative side, like a feature story or design project.
  3. Cover letter: The purpose of the cover letter is to go into depth about important experiences or previous internships that you couldn’t fully explain on your resume. You’ll also want to throw in a sentence or two describing why you would be an asset to the company. Always include a cover letter, even if it isn’t mentioned – it can’t hurt!  
  4. Resume: It wasn’t until this past year that I learned that your resume, specifically the relevant experience section, should be tailored to each position. For instance, if I were to apply for a nonprofit internship, I would highlight my work with the YMCA of Northwest North Carolina; however, for an agency position, I would include my experience as PR director for an on-campus organization.
  5. Email: The worst mistake you can make with an email is the dreaded typo or grammar mistake. As I learned in my public relations writing class, you can never rely on spell check! Sometimes it’s best to whip out the good ol’ AP Stylebook. Other than that, just be professional yet personable when explaining your interest in the company and past public relations work.  
  6. Follow Up: Arguably the most important part of the process is maintaining communication with the agency. I always make sure to keep a record of when I applied, sent writing samples, talked with them, etc., so that I can stay in touch and provide any information they may need.

These are just a few tricks of the trade that I used this past year when searching for an internship. Overall, the key to securing a PR internship is perseverance and a bit of luck!

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