Ready, set, write. There are internships waiting for you at the finish line.
A degree, while impressive, can’t replace the value of hands-on experience or a professional mentor. Internships behoove young communicators by serving as essential gateways for networking, developing contacts and generating solid portfolio content.
Mark Macias, commended communicator whose article inspired my last post, invites students to put aside resumes and logistics and apply to win The Internship Race of New York by 212Access.com.
Students of any major or concentration are encouraged to submit their application by April 29. The chosen interns will work under Macias for three days a week, uncovering and journaling the culture of Manhattan for 10 weeks of the summer and available course credit.
A PR specialist is the voice box of a company, and the fundamentals of good training begin with good writing.
These messages — press releases, company memos, pitches — will be virally transmitted, demanding that the PR practitioner produce copy efficiently, coherently and creatively, week in and week out.
Considering this internship is based heavily on writing, the practice can test your articulation and organization of information. It’s a necessary skill set, Macias said, that is appreciated by employers of any career field.
“I encourage all of my interns to pitch story ideas. If it's a good story, the intern will be able to pursue it,” he said. “The winning student will walk away with a long list of clips that will prepare him/her for that first writing job.”
Finding a voice in your writing is the first step in putting together successful pieces, and he said he requires students to throw out their other qualifications and get back to basics.
Macias said he’s posted information about internships before and received an overwhelmingly positive response, reiterating how students are answering the demands of the modern job market. College students are chomping at the bit for ways to increase the value of their professional experience and resumes ten-fold.
“I will encourage them to explore these areas,” he said. “That is the purpose of an internship — to learn and grow.”
From public relations to journalism, or even biology to interior design, fight to seize these sort of opportunities, and more importantly, apply with conviction. Enter interviews with a clear understanding of where you’re headed and how you plan to get there.
Here's some commentary Macias provided about landing jobs and moving ahead.
