The reality of the modern workforce requires students to have more than a university degree to be prepared for a full-time role. Whether you’re still a student or a young professional, there is often an issue that arises when you’re looking to start your career – the lack of experience and industry exposure.
Internships play a key role in bridging the gap between education and careers. In the PR sector, interning at an agency gives you the opportunity to build a set of invaluable skills that can’t be developed from a textbook or the classroom.
Here are 5 top reasons why you need to consider an internship before kickstarting your PR career:
1. Experience life as a PR practitioner
As an intern you will be surrounded by PR pros, experience the workflow and fast paced environment without having to carry the responsibility on your own. You have the opportunity to build relationships, develop how you communicate in the “professional” world and gain insights as to what the PR industry looks like. From the circulating e-mails around company announcements, pitch formulation, securing an interview to witnessing the finished article being published, you will gain hands-on experience on how an agency runs.
2. Increase your people-to-people skill
Like many other jobs, you will often interact with team members and participate in meetings, training sessions and even lunch events or kitchen talks. As an intern, you may get an insight into how professionals collaborate in a task, respond to a situation or resolve a specific problem collaboratively as a team. You will also learn how to take responsibility, schedule, and prioritise urgent tasks in order to play your role best and help the team effectively.
3. Become knowledgeable about a range of industries with client diversity
One of the most fun yet intellectually challenging part of interning at a PR agency is the diversity of clients you come across. Expect to be working with numerous clients from different industries and backgrounds all at the same time. From software companies, hospitals to education sectors, interning at a PR agency not only exposes you to the PR and communications world, but also to a variety of other industries that you may not be across.
4. Build a network of professional contacts
Internships help you develop a professional network with the people who are already in the industry long before you, who might help you along the way. Whether they mentor you in your career journey or become your colleagues, everyone you meet along the way will help your career path, in some shape of form. The key is to be proactive, ask them advice and build relationships that will last way past your internship.
5. Discover what you want to do
Internships are a great way for you to learn if you are passionate about PR. As a student or young professional, you’re in the early stages of your dream career. Interning can help you decide if the field is right for you. This learning process helps you determine your career direction as you move forward.
Internships allow young professionals to gain skills such as multi-tasking, time management skills, adaptability and prioritisation. They allow you to become familiar with the media landscape, understand client relationships and get your foot in the door to the corporate world.
While it may be intimidating at first, take a chance and apply for the internship you want in a company that allows you to grow. Once you’ve taken the first step, it will most certainly be the most rewarding experience of your career.
At Taurus, we are passionate about mentoring, training and fast-tracking the careers of young graduates. Our TaurusAcademy© internship program gives you hands-on work experience to increase your chance of employment. Learn more about our TaurusAcademy© program here.