Intern Diaries: Michelle P.
I’ve always had an interest in the arts and entertainment industry, but was never really a performer. Instead, I looked into the business aspect of it and that’s where I discovered public relations. PR has always fascinated me since high school and was always curious what this particular field was like. Throughout my college career, I bounced between majors and interests, but public relations was something that I’ve always kept in the back of my mind. Just like in PR where we constantly take risks, I decided to take the risk of my own and chose this path.
I’ve been following the JMG Instagram account since last year when CEO, Jenna came to Baruch College and was a panelist for the “Entrepreneur & Manager” event hosted by PRSSA. I was instantly attracted to the aesthetic of their Instagram page. During the summer, I spent days applying for PR internships, only to receive many rejections. Then, I saw on Instagram that JMG was looking for interns for the Fall semester. And so, I applied. The whole application and interview process took less than two weeks before I was offered the intern position! Excitement can’t even describe what I was feeling at the time.
Truthfully, I was very nervous the moment I first stepped into the office. I had no PR experience nor have taken any PR courses yet. On my very first day, I was assigned to write two memos, and a mockup and summary. I had no idea what those were but luckily the team was able to guide me through it. They were also so patient with me considering it almost took me 4 hours to complete my first mockup. Now, I can complete it in 30 minutes. As time goes on, I’ve been given new tasks, work hands-on with clients, and assist with events outside the office. To my surprise, I’ve been assigned to a client who is in the entertainment field which is exactly how I took interest in PR in the first place! I’m amazed on how things worked out.
Every day at JMG was a learning experience. Overall, I truly got to experience real PR work. I gained hands on knowledge that could not only benefit me for my next place of work, but also for school, extra-curricular activities, and personal life. This internship gave me the opportunity to further strengthen my skills and add to my “experience.” I also worked with an amazing team and built relationships that can create potential opportunities. Most importantly, this internship help determined if I wanted to stay in this type of field. I’m glad to be in a PR agency where I worked with a variety of clients in different industries and would love to continue on this path.
Thank you JMG for giving me a chance and giving me the best first experience!
Michelle P.