If you’ve ever had a negative internship experience, have you ever wondered why it was so negative? Was it entirely your employer’s fault you didn’t get the experience you were looking for?

I wrote a post last year about an ad agency intern who quit her internship because she was having a bad experience. While a lot of us have a lot of advice on this, I want to expound on one particular idea. I believe that you and mostly you can make or break your internship. The salary, hours, atmosphere and coworkers all contribute to your internship experience, but it is you who decides if you have a good or bad experience.

While some things are beyond your capability of changing, there are things you can control at work. It usually starts not just with your skills, but your mindset. Here are three attributes of people who make their internship:

1. They are proactive. An intern who is constantly seeking new projects, feedback and opportunities to jump in on projects is proactive in all sense of the word. Think of what your level of work is currently, take out some of your daily free time and add in more projects with different colleagues.
2. They are punctual. Show up early, leave late, make deadlines and follow through with what you say you will do. Easy enough, right? It’s easy to take on too much, and to gain the respect of your coworkers, know your limit and propose a way to get everything done.
3. They are positive. No one likes a Debbie Downer. Leave your personal life at home and come to work with a positive and eager attitude. Sure, you can overdo it, so make sure you’re listening and be a sponge to your environment. If your coworkers like you and you fit in, you are much more likely to get a lot out of that experience.

If you try to work on the above areas and still feel you are coming up short, think of that particular experience as an important career challenge. In that position, you haven’t been able to grow and learn enough to continue with that company or industry, so look for the next challenge. Each experience will help prime you for what’s next, so be sure to treat every opportunity as a learning experience.

What do you think? How else can you make the most out of a negative experience?

As a college student, I’ll be the first one to admit that – occasionally – I take the education I’m earning for granted . Like my peers, I sometimes have the attitude that some classes I’ve taken probably won’t help me in the long run. Or at least that’s how we justify it. But how can we be sure this won’t help?

If you ask a PR student what they do in college, they will probably say they are involved in extracurricular organizations and intern, while takes classes. But if you ask an engineering student, they will say they are taking a full load of courses in science and math. Of course, public relations requires a lot of outside learning, but being successful in the classroom is often overlooked.

Here are some resolutions (I’m hoping to accomplish these in 2010, at least) for students relating to school and how they can help you down the road. After all, school is important, too.

1. Make one class assignment worthy of your portfolio. It’s easy to brush off class assignments, especially if the professor grades easily, but putting in a class project to your portfolio with demonstrate depth to potential employers.
2. Learn to lead [and to follow] in a group project. When you lead student organizations, you have to remember how to follow, too. This can be a skill developed in class. Especially when you graduate to the bottom of a company, learning how to follow is essential.
3. Take a class outside your comfort zone to develop a new skill. Part of why I study political science is to enhance my research and analysis skills, and I actually enjoy this aspect of public relations.
4. Prioritize your classes, jobs, internships and other activities equally. Especially if you end up in an agency, learning how to equally balance and effectively prioritize will be part of your job every day.
5. Get to know a professor and offer your help on a research project. Your teachers will probably know a lot of professionals, and offering to help is a great way to build your network.
6. Do well enough in a class that qualify to be a teaching assistant. More than anything else, I have found that teaching someone else about public relations enhances my knowledge of what I’m teaching, especially when I’m asked questions.

How else can you use your classroom experience as a professional experience? Anything else to add to the list?

Photo by Robert S. Donovan on Flickr.

Though I don’t consider myself a lucky person, I really landed the jackpot nearly one year ago when I applied for and received the Daniel J. Edelman/PRSSA award. The award contains a monetary scholarship as well as a three-month internship in one of Edelman‘s U.S. offices. For a broke college kid, that’s pretty much the best thing anyone could ever ask for.

As it’s the season for the application, I wanted to offer some advice for those hoping to apply. By no means it is a particularly difficult application, yet there are many ways to separate yourself from other applicants. The most important thing to remember is that you’re only as qualified for the award as you believe you are. Confidence is key and it should show in your application. What are you waiting for? Get your application together!

Here are my tips:

Think internship over award

While the Edelman generously offers some cash for the award, don’t get distracted by the dough. Consider this an internship application more than anything else. That means submitting your best work, meeting the deadline and being prepared for a phone interview if you land in the top.

Your portfolio should have a lot of depth

The award requires you to submit 10 samples of your best public relations work. That means 10 of your best and most diverse work samples. Don’t just include press releases and media advisories; make sure to include your digital work, bi-lined articles, brochures, event summaries… you name it. If you need some more advice on constructing a portfolio, I recommend you check out Karen Russell’s post. Whatever you submit, make sure it is clean, organized and navigable.

Demonstrate the Edelman values

If you’re going to apply, make sure you show in your application that you demonstrate the Edelman values. I’ll let you do your own research on these, but I will say Edelman folks take these values very seriously and demonstrate them in their work. You can be one step ahead if you show similar values.

Apply

Yes, I said it. Do the work and submit your application; you won’t regret it. At the very least, you will have your portfolio put together for future applications. If you win, Edelman is a phenomenal place to work and launch your career, so take advantage of the opportunity.

More advice

In addition to my advice, I’ve compiled some links and posts that will be of great interest to anyone considering applying. Check them out:

• More information and the award application can be found here.
• Meg Roberts, the 2008 runner-up of the award, writes about her experience in the application process. Her advice: just apply already. Also, take note of the comments in the post.
• I interviewed Heather Crowley, a recruitment specialist from Edelman in Chicago, for the PRSSA Blog this summer. She offers some advice for future and current interns, and it’s definitely worth a read if you are planning on joining the company.
• This interview with Natasha Avery, senior recruitment manager for Edelman’s western region, goes into some great detail about how to land a job with Edelman. Key takeaways from this post will definitely help you in the application process.
• CEO Richard Edelman writes 6 A.M., a blog about public relations trends and insights. Make sure to read the blog, as well as other public relations news sources and blogs, to be a knowledgeable citizen in the industry.

*For the purposes of full disclosure, I am currently employed by Edelman.

The other day, a good friend of mine sent me a link to a post by Meg Roberts on how her online presence has changed since she became a professional. This really struck a chord with me, as I transitioned to a full time intern at a public relations agency during the end of May.

Because I work for clients, I don’t think it’s appropriate to sit on Twitter, read blogs and everything else when my work is being billed. Before you yell and shout at me on how it’s important to do all that stuff, know that I get it. I know it’s important to be part of the conversation. I know learning on consuming this information is part of my professional development as a student. I know I need to build relationships and a solid network.

But there are only 24 hours in a day. And eight or more of them don’t really belong to me.

There. I’ve said it. Of course, I haven’t given up on social media for myself. I have had to make some important adjustments. Here are some things I’ve been keeping in mind as my social media presence shifts:

• I represent clients now, meaning I represent a lot more than my personal brand. If I mention a client in a tweet, I disclose that they have a relationship with the firm I work for.
• My time is not my own — at least at work. It’s no secret that agencies bill for time spent on projects, so when I sit on Twitter scrolling though hundreds of tweets, I have to question if I’m actually helping the client.
• Efficiency is key when it comes to aggregating information. Before, I used to subscribe to a whole lot of awfully great blogs and read most of the posts shared by those I follow on Twitter. Now, I’m realizing how important it is to be efficient with what I’m reading or else I’d be sitting on the computer all day. Lately, I go through my Google Reader (cleaned out a lot at the beginning of summer) before work and before bed. I also peruse posts from daily newsletters I receive from PRSA and PRNewser, among others.
• To be knowledgeable in social media is to use it for personal use, too. Working on the digital team, I find that my personal experience with blogging and social networking to be just as important as my professional experience with it. Sometimes, it’s nice to read hilarious blogs, video chat with friends and share dumb things on Facebook.

If anything, I hope my scarce tweets and blog posts somewhat show that I do have a life offline. I even ride out on my yacht occasionally. OK, no yacht yet.

Anyway, how do you find balance in social media? Are the lines clear between professional and personal use?

This morning as I was going through my e-mail inbox at work, I happened to see this article on an intern who resigned from her company. Basically, Jenavi Kasper worked at an advertising agency in Phoenix for three weeks and quit because she had higher expectations for working there. I’m not kidding. I recommend checking out the comments on the post — some defend and some attack. I side with the latter.

First, I’ll add that as a fellow intern, I can’t say I can relate to Jenavi. In my four work experiences since I’ve been in college, I’ve had four incredible experiences that have taught me a lot of public relations. Then again, if I were in her shoes, I would do things a little bit differently.

So, here are my points as to what Jenavi did wrong. I hope you can find some value in learning from these.

• Give it time. Somewhere in the comments, it was mentioned that she only worked three weeks (two days per week, at that) at the agency. That’s one business week and one day. It’s important to remember how agencies operate: they hire when they win business, fire when they lose it and are always in a state of adapting to a new balance of clients. Interns should spend some time learning and asking questions before they join in on this cycle be the most beneficial to the agency. That takes time and patience. It seems as though neither were present in this situation.
• Her expectations were way off. I’ve now worked at three public relations agencies and I’ve been able to do some pretty cool things. However, I’ve also answered phones, moved boxes, delivered fliers to 100+ people in person… you get the picture. Sure, she had to do some not-so-sexy things, but that’s the business. To put it quite frankly, if you’re basing your expectations on what you see on TV, you’re crazy. In PR and advertising, especially entry level, you’ll be doing research, compiling lists and putting together reports — not pitching clients and designing a new campaign. I could go on about expections, but I could talk about it for a year.
• Why did she not ask for more work? From the post, it sounded like she came to work, got her assignments, completed them and waited for someone to give her more. In fact, she should have asked for more assignments. Even better — think one step ahead and anticipate the needs of your team. This will help your get respect and ultimately, your team will trust you with bigger assignments.
• Trying to get bad press for your ex-employer is presumptuous and could backfire. When she wrote this blog about her old company, she added at the end: “So be careful. You don’t want to end up being called out on a blog, do you?” I think this really speaks miles for itself, so I’ll hold out on saying what I really feel about this. She hurt herself so much more than she could ever hurt the company, and while social media is a great tool for learning, it’s a great tool for ruining your career, too.
• The field is crowded. Big agencies get hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants for summer internship programs. If you don’t want to do some administrative work, I can guarantee that the next person will.

So, what do you think? Do you think this is an isolated case? What else could she have done differently?

Photo by w00kie on Flickr.

As I continue to transition in my new position with Edelman, one thing I’m already finding is I don’t have as much time in the day to peruse news articles and share them via Twitter, Friendfeed, etc. Trust me, I know this is a good thing. Technically, this is my first 40-hour per week gig; for the past couple of years, I’ve always balanced jobs and internships with classes, so I’m used moving around all day.

So, in an effort to continue to share what I feel is relevant to future and current PR pros, I’m going to try something new. I’m going to bookmark a couple articles per day via delicious and automatically post these to this blog. You can check out this feature here.

You know I love feedback, so let me know what you think. I’m here to help, and I hope this will be another tool that will accomplish that.

If I asked you who to define what a leader is, how would you do it? Would you say it’s the person in the corner office leading your company? Would you say it’s a member of a professional organization you’re involved with? Would you say it’s an intern in your company?

When I think of what I leader is, a lot of qualities come to mind — dedication, knowledge, attitude, aptitude — and these are probably some you would agree with. However, one prerequisite a leader does not need to have is a title. That means no matter what position you have within a company, whether it’s an intern, assistant or coordinator, you can be a leader.

Here are some tips for effective leadership, especially for students, interns and new professionals. Sure, these might sound like general career tips, but being a leader in the workplace is an entirely different mindset. Check them out and see how you can apply these principles in your office.

Attitude is everything

When you walk into work every morning, you can be a leader by motivating and inspiring with your attitude. Don’t let challenges get you down and look at new projects with a positive attitude. Hopefully, your attitude will be contagious and people will look to you for a pick-me-up when they need it. This creates a great work atmosphere.

Earn respect by doing what you say you’ll do

How many times have you offered help to a coworker and not followed through? I’ve done it before, and I know it doesn’t help with your credibility. Be honest with your coworkers and mean what you say — this will help you earn credibility and trust with your coworkers, and these are two traits leaders have a strong command of.

Learn and understand when to say yes — and no

There are only so many hours in the day, and at a certain point you can only take on so many projects. If you’re already swamped and can barely get through your daily to do list, it probably isn’t a good idea to take on a new project. That said, don’t be afriad to push yourself to do more. The point is there is a fine balance of doing a lot at work and not being able to get through your work. If you can demonstrate your ability to know the difference, you will definitely impress your coworkers and managers.

Give compliments a lot

You really can’t go wrong telling someone you think they did a good job or how much you appreciate their work. This is especially true of your managers and supervisors. Don’t be afraid to give a high-five to your boss if they did a good job. Chances are, your bosses probably don’t get praised for their work because they standards are higher, so go the extra couple of yards. Again, it goes back to attitude.

Promote teamwork, especially among those who don’t know each other

I didn’t realize it, but I let the e-board of MSU PRSSA formulate into pairs who always worked with each other. Looking back on the past year, I think a more effective approach would have been to encourage teams with the members who didn’t know each other as well. Also, you can take the initiative to get to know other people in your company. You never know who might be sitting next to you tomorrow.

Find ways to learn and grow with everything

As a young professional, you’re going to make mistakes. In fact, as you progress with your career, you’ll probably still make mistakes. In most cases, it’s not what you do, it’s how you react to the situation.Value professional development and always learn. It’s a great way to give more value to your company and your coworkers.

For more on effective leadership techniques, check out this slideshow from Andy Hanselman. There are some great tips in here for everyone:

So, what do you think? Can young professionals really be leaders?

One thing I see more and more often is students who use different social networks for different reasons. For example, using Facebook for a crazy college lifestyle and keeping a professional blog. To me, it doesn’t make sense. Here’s why.

You’re findable

Even if you’ve changed your name on Facebook or use some kind of alter ego for other social networking profiles, don’t risk it. Here are some stats from an MSNBC article I want to throw out:

“According to a March survey by Ponemon Institute, a privacy think tank, 35 percent of hiring managers use Google to do online background checks on job candidates, and 23 percent look people up on social networking sites. About one-third of those Web searches lead to rejections, according to the survey.”

When it comes down to it, there are many more applicants to any one job, so don’t hurt your chances by taking a risk online.

Linking up

When I put up the new design on my blog, I added my Facebook profile badge. Before, I always thought Facebook was for my personal friends because I have personal information on there, but isn’t that the case with any social networking site you’re part of? Now, I’m open to networking on any of my profiles. Once you get over the initial “I want to post something really inappropriate” hill, it’s not so bad and helps your reputation in the long run.

Remember when Facebook changed and everyone thought it looks like Twitter? And Friendfeed‘s recent makeover to make it look more like Twitter? I think social networks are going to continue to converge (to some extend). Networking professionally on one site but avoiding conversation on another just plan looks bad.

Choose one side

When Facebook opened up to more than those with a .edu address and I started getting friend requests from professionals, I quickly learned about the importance of keeping a professional online profile — no matter what you’re using.

I recommend choosing one side; there’s no point of using some sites professionally and some sites for fun. This, of course, brings up the question of authenticity: do you have to show a different personality that who you really are? Not at all — just keep your illegal habits out of sight.

Be smart

I’m sure many of you already know what you put online is open for anyone to view. I just want to emphasize how important it is to be consistent and clear with your social networks. You never know, it might end up helping you get a job.

So, do you use different social networks for different reasons? Why? Do you think college students should be in a different category since they will be looking for jobs? All thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Photo by M. Keefe on Flickr.

Last week, I wrote a post on how to master the career fair. Doing all that stuff is a good idea, but there’s more to it than just what happens after the career fair, especially in today’s economy.

One thing students tend to forget about the public relations industry is that agencies and corporations rarely hire a set number of people each May when students graduate. Remember that agencies fill positions based on how their business is doing. If you read in PRWeek that Burson-Marsteller recently lost a big account, it’s probably not a good idea to contact the recruiter and ask for a job. However, if you see that Ketchum won a new account, don’t you think it would be a good ideas to send your resume and cover letter talking about your experience with that industry? I don’t think it would hurt.

All in all, remember to be patient and persistent. The job market is competitive right now, so just keep your eyes on the prize and don’t give up.

Here are some tips for following up after a career fair:

Don’t:

• Don’t send a follow up e-mail; send a handwritten, old-fashioned thank you note. Keep it to a maximum of four lines.
• Don’t think recruiters will contact you about job openings. You have to look on their Web site and watch the news to see how business is going.
• Don’t call daily or weekly. You don’t want to pester the recruiter.

Do:

• Follow up if the recruiter wants to you send samples or an e-mailed version of your resume.
• If your talk went well at the career fair, go ahead and see if you can schedule an informational interview. If the recruiter likes you but they don’t have an opening, it’s possible they might forward your resume on.
• Apply for a job with the company online, and be sure to mention who you spoke with at the career fair.
• Consider an internship post-graduation – it is the path to a full-time position.

The video below is another from MSU PRSSA’s YouTube Channel. It features Kelly Rossman-McKinney of Rossman PR talking about the skills necessary to be successful in PR and how to get a job in these challenging economic times.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmX-FXzu6_w&hl=en&fs=1]

Any other tips for following up after a career fair? Have you been able to find a job or internship because of a career fair?

It’s career fair season. MSU PRSSA is hosting our second annual PR Links event – a career fair and reception for members and professionals to connect with each other. Not only is this a great way to find jobs and internships, but this is awesome practice for future public relations professionals. Keep in mind that you are your own brand – just your audience changes. In the case of this career fair, recruiters are your target audience so it’s important to plan accordingly.

Our Chapter recently hosted Brian Barthelmes, APR from Airfoil PR to talk about the elevator pitch and how to navigate a career fair. Here’s a video with Brian’s tips and advice:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGvtJLyAE0w&hl=en&fs=1]

I think the elevator pitch is so key for students to have, prepare and use, not only for career fairs. Say you ended up on an elevator with Harold Burson. What would you say? Would you even introduce yourself? This is where the elevator pitch comes in. A simple way to describe this is a quick pitch on who you are, what you do and why you are qualified. How many times have you been asked to talk a little about yourself or describe yourself? This is the solution, my friends!

Use this as a guideline when creating an elevator pitch. I also like this article from BusinessWeek about the importance of the elevator pitch.

• Who are you? Skip over the “I’m a student at MSU studying PR.” Get right to the nitty gritty and talk about your traits and defining characteristics: “I’m a creative, out of the box thinking with a passion for the field.”
• What do you want to do? From my experience with interviewing, I hear this line way too often: “I want this position so I can learn more about advertising.” How does that help the company? Replace it with, “I would like to contribute to the growth and development of the firm while picking up skills along the way.”
• Why are you qualified to work for the company? You can answer this question in a couple of different ways, but ultimately, you want to find out what they are looking for in an employee. You can tailor the rest of the conversation to what they are looking for.
• More talking points during the conversation: recent company accomplishments, the atmosphere of the office, what an average day is like, best part of the job, etc. Don’t talk about religion, politics, alcohol.. Just use good common sense.

Here are some more resources on the elevator pitch:

• Perfecting your pitch – assume short buildings. Brevity is important because you don’t want to bore the recruiters. Keep in mind that they are talking to hundreds if not thousands of other people in your same shoes.
• How to make an elevator pitch work for you. Practice makes perfect!

Are you ready to master your next career fair? Any other tips to add?