Stepping foot into any office on the first day of work is
always intimidating; first impressions are crucial and the night before my
first day as the summer intern at C. Pharr & Co. consisted of me scrambling
around my room until late, flinging clothes out of my closet in exasperation
because nothing was "right." I wanted to make the best first
impression possible because this was my first public relations internship and I
knew it could lead to many opened doors for me in the future. Leaving the next
morning with ample time to get there, a packed lunch and hopeful attitude, I
embarked on the commute from Fort Worth to Dallas.
Arriving without any time to spare and I was welcomed into
the cozy office with wide smiles and cheery hellos, I received a quick round of
introductions and was led to my desk for the summer. I went over terms, phrases
and example documents of what I would be doing and was shown how to media clip,
an action I would become overly familiar with early on into the summer.
Possessing a practically nonexistent knowledge of public relations besides a
few terms remembered from the one class taken at SMU, I eagerly soaked in the
new concepts and worked hard to strengthen these new skills. I grew comfortable
entering the quiet office, sitting at my desk and working diligently all day
until my time came to leave. At first, I was perplexed by how silent the office
was all day; I'd imagined an office where people were constantly chattering.
However, the silence suits the work attitude they all possess: efficient, time
aware and hard working.
As I wrap up my last day at my first PR internship, I am so
thankful I was given the opportunity to engage with such a knowledgeable team.
I'd heard so many horror internship stories where all anyone did was scan, fax,
and file papers, and I feared I too would be doing the same, but it couldn't
have been more opposite. The hands on opportunities pushed me so far out of my
comfort zone at the beginning, but I grew to love coming to work to see what I
would learn. This internship has not only taught me about the many different
aspects of a PR firm and how to do the behind-the-scenes work, but also countless
important career advice. I sat down with all the women who work here and
compiled a list of the most significant words of wisdom they had to share:
- Be resourceful always
- Never be above anything
- Take an intro to business class so that you can understand their perspective
- Learn about particular industries and become a "surface level expert"
- Absorb as much as possible
- Always keep up with the news
- Be proactive
- Keep in touch
Hearing advice from professionals who have been in my same
position of "What am I going to do in one year?" is comforting. Their
tidbits were beyond useful because they not only motivate me to keep working
hard throughout my senior year, but also push me to strive for excellence in my
work.
The next time I'm freaking out about my "first day"
outfit and stressing about what everyone will think of me, I just need to
remember that everyone has been there before. The women at C. Pharr & Co.
have been supportive and eager to help me grow, and I know they wanted to
provide me with an internship that would teach me lessons I would utilize later
on, which I know I certainly will.
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