Lily’s guide to making the most of your PR internship

Hey, I’m Lily and I’m in my final years of studying a Bachelor of Communication, majoring in Journalism and Public Relations, at QUT! Much like many nineteen-year-olds completing University studies, I’ve been soaking up as much experience as I can, which is what led me to find Pitch Public Relations.

What does interning actually involve?

If you had of asked me what I thought interning looked like before I started, I honestly would have said an intern is the one we’ve all seen in rom-coms who does the coffee runs and makes photocopies. They’ve got a go-getter attitude and are clothed in confidence with the world at their feet. And let me tell you, those are not words I would ever use to describe myself. So, if you can relate to anything I’ve just mentioned, I’m here to tell you interning is quite the opposite and I promise you – if I can do it, you can too. And I really recommend you do. 

For me, interning looks like growth, support and hands on opportunities to try a variety of tasks that are typical of a day working within the PR or communications industry. I’ve been blown away by the support of the Pitch team – the autonomy and responsibility I’ve been given when completing tasks for real clients and the ability to tailor the internship to what I want out of it.   

So, what does a day in the life of a Pitch intern look like? Honestly, every day for me so far has been different (which I love) but some of the day-to-day tasks I complete include creating and scheduling social media content for clients, press release writing and media research. It’s safe to say you get a real taste of daily life working at a PR and communications agency.  

Lily’s top tips

If you’ve got the opportunity to try an internship, here’s my top tips for making the most of it: 

Actually ask questions – if you’re anything like me (a perfectionist who hates to inconvenience anyone) the thought of asking lots of questions to clarify tasks is not something that comes naturally. But if you don’t ask questions, you’re never going to put yourself in a position to grow and upskill, which is ultimately the whole purpose of interning!  

Enter the experience with a positive attitude – I know it’s a little cliché but if there’s anything that I think is a ‘must’, it’s entering the experience (and every day) with a positive attitude.  

Be confident – confidence in yourself and what you can bring to the team is crucial. It makes all the difference.

Take every opportunity to learn as much as you can – offer to help with anything and everything, even if it’s something you may not be particularly confident with, because every task is an opportunity to practice or learn new skills, expand your scope and give you a better idea of what it’s like to work in the industry.  

Open yourself up to feedback – striving towards perfection is good, but the reality is you’re going to get things wrong and you’re not going to know how to everything. So, ensuring you are open to feedback and improving is super important. 

Embrace the experience – it can be so tricky to gain practical experience in your degree so the value of internships is unmatched. To be working in a professional environment and drafting work for clients is key to setting you up for success down the line, so embrace it and make the most of your time interning.

It’s never too late to start – if you’re feeling like you’ve missed your chance, you haven’t! As long as you’re studying, it’s not too late (or early) to start and there are so many opportunities out there in a range of industries just waiting for you.  

Where to now?

Even today, I still don’t know exactly where I want to go and that’s okay. I love the industry and I’m making the most of my interning experiences, developing myself as a person, and gathering all the knowledge and skills I can so that when I step into my future career, I am equipped and set up for success. The highlight of my experience has been making industry connections, learning new things, and pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. 

I truly believe internships are the key to setting yourself up for success, and I have only great things to say about taking the opportunity (or, opportunities) whenever you can.