Internships and Networking: How PRSSA helped me in entering my first steps into the field.

While attending college, it is very easy to experience the feeling of falling behind when watching your peers get the same internships you applied for and seemingly doing so much better than you.

I smoothly transferred to George Mason University with the ADVANCE Program, but I didn’t know anybody during my first semester on campus after taking many classes online. Additionally, there has always been a lot of stigma associated with being from a community college, so I started self-doubting my abilities. Nevertheless, I broke out of my shell and took the first step towards building a network by talking to my classmates, expressing my opinion, and eventually joining student organizations. I started publishing articles for the Fourth Estate student newspaper at my college, peer review submissions for the Hispanic Culture Review, and even became a COMM Ambassador for my major.

PR Tip: Start with the organizations that appear most interesting to you, then expand your involvement with the others, which are beneficial in advancing your career and building a network.

In my first PR class, I spoke about my media production skills and was able to obtain my first internship offer as a videographer at the CARP Research Lab. I believed that I didn’t have the skills to obtain the position, but through hard work, commitment, and willingness to learn, I got promoted to the Media Manager position.

That is also when I started getting involved with the PRSSA GMU Chapter by attending various meetings and getting unique knowledge about the industry. In one of the meetings, Kristina Messner, a PR practitioner who built her woman-owned PR agency, attended as a guest speaker, talked about her experience in the industry, and shared her advice with students like me. I really liked her attitude, mentality, and genuine kindness shown through her words, so I connected and stayed in touch with her. When a summer internship was open at her PR agency, Messner Media Group, I was invited to apply and obtained the position as an Account Coordinator.

Boosted in confidence, I started advocating more in class, attending more events, deepening my involvement, and eventually becoming an active member of the PRSSA E-board. Thanks to the organization, I have built a network of people who genuinely know both my personality and the skills I offer.

PR Tip: Be active in searching for opportunities, which are often revealed in small conversations with someone you didn’t know before.

Through confidence and people skills, I was able to build a competitive resume and gained hands-on experience during my junior year of college. Thanks to my enhanced trust in myself, I applied and became the PR Chair for the Intelligence Community Network at GMU. I am now going into my senior year, and even if I feel unmotivated at times, I always remember that my accomplishments all began by just believing in myself and my skills.

PR Tip: Advance your skills, not only your network. Be confident in your abilities and know your resources so you can apply to internships.

You know yourself better than anyone else, so don’t put yourself down. Never underestimate yourself, and always apply for positions you believe would fit your interests, experience, and needs well.

Author: Valentina Fala