What To Look For In A PR Internship

If you're a communications major, an internship (paid or unpaid) is the best thing you can do to boost your chances of finding a job after graduation.

But before you accept an internship, make sure that it's the right fit for you. While all interns do their fair share of standing at the copy machine, answering the phones, and running errands, a good internship also includes exposure to the workings of a PR team and opportunities to make meaningful contributions to that team's assignments.

Look for an internship that provides opportunities:

to attend strategic meetings that focus on the priorities of the PR team and how they plan to organize and execute their daily responsibilities;
for hands-on work with tools used regularly by PR professionals (for example, media contact lists, costing methodologies, and research sources);
to write press releases, fact sheets and/or features;
to generate editorial coverage results that you can include in your portfolio.

Most importantly, look for an intern coordinator who promises an open-door policy and a PR staff that is willing and able to answer your questions and help you grow.

Keep in touch with your intern coordinator after the internship is over. That person can serve as a reference from the real world and that may give you the ability to finally jump from school into a job as a paying PR professional.