PR Intern to PRofessional: Some things you should know about the transition

With less than 3 weeks until graduation, I feel that it is important to know what to expect after May 8. While reading this article from Platform (Public Relations) Magazine on transitioning from an intern to a PRofessional, here are some notes I think are important for all those who intend on transitioning from student/intern to the PRofessional world.

1. Make the most of your professional experience.

I feel that this is the number one most important things we must remember as we transition from student/intern to PRofessional. Some ways to make the most of your professional experience include:

-Ask questions-

Asking questions seems like a simple idea, but sometimes we are too shy, or too intimidated by a person’s position of power to ask simple questions we want to know the answer to. A way to get the answers to questions without being intimidated is to write them down at home, or send the person an email. By doing this you don’t have to deal with them face to face, although you should, especially if you are interning and wish to build a relationship with them. Hopefully communicating in the workplace will put you more at ease so you can open up and talk to them.

-Take initiative-

This is something that I’ve learned from first hand experience recently. My internship at the American Cancer Society has been a learning experience in more ways that one. Coming into the office, i would always ask if there was anything they needed me to do, in order to prepare for Relay for Life. My boss would always say NO, but one day the secretary came into my office and told me that the supervisors were expecting me to be proactive and find things to do, as opposed to waiting until I was told to do something. From then on, I made sure that I was always working on something, even if they didn’t ask me to.

-Act professional-

…duh! Nothing else to say.

-Observe your environment-

Watching how things work around the office may give you a better understanding of the position and industry in which you pursue in the future. Senior Seminar is all about preparing us for the real world, so just watching and listening may help you more than you know.

-Make mistakes-

Yes I know this part of the internship sucks, but how else will you learn the do’s and don’t. You can consider it like a trial and error.

-Follow directions-

…self explanatory

-Push your limits-

Even if you think you can’t do something, try anyway. My mom always said, nothing beats a fail but a try…Just Do It!

-Evaluate your progress-

Keep a journal. Write about your experience and go back and look at everything you’ve done while on the internship. This may be a learing experience in itself. Progress is good sign that you are moving in the right direction.

-Keep in contact with former employers/mentors-

Utilize those contacts you’ve made during your internship and consult  them on the job search. If you’ve made a good impression, they are likely to help you out when it matters.

2. Make sacrifices to get your job done.

Come early, leave late…just make sure they know that you are dedicated to completing your job on time and to the best of your ability.

Overall the article lists the biggest challenge as dealing with workload responsibility. An intern usually assists their supervisor but when you get to having your own clients the work may sometimes be overwhelming. According to Platform magazine, following these simple steps should make the transition much easier from intern/student to PRofessional.

I’m taking notes…

May 8th

 is just around the corner.

Do you have any additional tips? Comment and let me know!

Read more from Platform Magazine here (www.platformmagazine.com)

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