Guest Post on "Teaching PR"

I recently wrote a post for a blog written by one of my former professors at UGA, Karen Russell. Her blog, Teaching PR, is written for her current and previous students as well as fellow industry professors. The post offers my own advice for students on scoring an internship at a PR agency. Enjoy the read!

Grady alum guest post: Scoring an Internship Interview
During April, I'm featuring guest posts from Grady College alumni. First up: Lelia Howze King, a 2006 Grady grad, who knows a thing or two about internships. Not only did she win the 2006 MS&L Atlanta internship challenge, but she reviewed applications for subsequent challenges. Here's her post:

A reputable internship is the best foot in the door to agency life – it gives you a chance to prove yourself to some top PR pros, who will often become your best resource for recommendations for entry-level work. But how do you score an invitation to interview with an agency? As someone who has reviewed many internship applications for agency internships (and been an intern myself!), I would like to share with you a little secret: It is easy to tell within a few seconds of reviewing an application whether or not someone is going to be a star intern. How do you make sure you stand out from the crowd?

1. Unique Position – As PR professionals, we constantly think about how to best position our clients with the audiences that care about them. It is no different for internship applicants. The applicants who clearly put thought into how to position themselves – almost as if they thought of themselves as a “brand” – are memorable. Think about what qualities or experiences make you unique, and what you bring to the table that others don’t. Are you an expert in something other than PR, such as fundraising or sports? Do you have a dual degree in art history? There really is no formula that decides who gets an internship and who doesn’t, so just be yourself! We want to work with people that we think we can learn from and who will come to the table with new ideas and a fresh perspective.

2. Audience Aware – As mentioned, stand-out applicants make it obvious that they have thought about their audience when filling out applications. Who are you speaking to in this application? The answers that you provide need to be relevant in some way to the job that you want. While it is great to know that you would love to work for Chanel, Jennifer Aniston or the Atlanta Braves, that type of work is not necessarily what the agency does. With a little research, you can easily demonstrate where you think you could fit in at a company, which makes it easier for employees to envision working with you as well. Keep it professional – no need to reveal extremely personal information!

3. Social Media Status – It takes more than saying that you have knowledge about social media – we want to see what you are doing online! A few applicants really demonstrate how they are using social media tools to their advantage. When we found these applicants on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (if you don’t know that potential employers do check these sites, here is your reality check), they demonstrated their expertise not only in using those tools, but also in how to promote themselves and their “brands” online. How did they do it? They were easy to find online, and used the sites to post news stories of interest, write insightful blog postings, and demonstrate their Web skills. Think of social media as a huge addition to your application – where there are no rules and no barriers.

4. Solid Writing – It’s very basic. Read over your application, have at least two friends read it over, and your mom, and maybe an unbiased classmate. Incorrect spelling and grammar misuse make you look sloppy! It’s the easiest thing you can to make yourself look good. Please don’t rely on spell check. We work in communications, and all of us write communications materials daily. Even e-mails need to be professional.