College is almost over. I have been in Milledgeville for nearly four years, and it has become my home. My friends have seen the best and worst of me, and they are still by my side. I cannot believe we are about to say goodbye and go our separate ways after graduation.
But, before graduation comes, I need to know what I am doing this summer. I do not usually stress out about these things because I find life more enjoyable when it is lived as an unknown adventure. However, if I do not find an Internship for this summer, I will not graduate. Thus, the searching begins.
Along with my classmates and thousands of other PR students across the nation, I build my resume and stuff my portfolio with the best of my work. I search for companies that I would like to work with and send them my resume with a cover letter. If a company has an online application, I fill it out and check it 3 times before I hit submit. There are so many people applying for the same internship spots as me. I wonder if I will find one and eagerly wait to hear back.
This past weekend I was able to attend PRSA RealWorld, where I connected and networked with PR professionals. A representative from a major PR firm in Atlanta critiqued my resume and tweaked it to make it stand out above the rest. I also received some helpful tips for the interviewing process, such as: bring a leave behind, send a thank you note, and be yourself.
A leave behind is a small packet of your best work. In the actual interview, you want to bring your portfolio that is filled with a variety of your stuff, though you should emphasize the work that coincides with the company you are interviewing with. The leave behind is a folder holding a few copies of those coinciding works along with your resume. An interviewer is likely look at your work more closely and remember you if you leave them with a leave behind packet.
A thank you note is simple and just the right touch. A handwritten note that can be slipped into the mail the next day shows the company that you are truly interested in them.
I asked one professional for her advice on interviewing and she said be yourself. Finding an internship is not just about fulfilling a requirement or getting experience; it's about finding the right fit, so you can gain experience in your future expertise. She said companies want someone who will work hard, surpass their expectations, and fit with them. She also said that I would not want to work for a company that wasn't the right fit because motivating myself to work hard and surpass their expectations would be difficult. If I go into an interview prepared, calm, and as myself, I have the best chance at getting to know how I fit with the company, and if the company thinks I fit in with them.
Grasping tightly to these tips, I am ready for my first interview this Friday.
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