Advice for Corporate PR Interns: Five Tips to Stand Out

Summer internships: the season for college students to descend upon the working class in hopes to either gain a unique glimpse into what their future may look like or simply build up their resume. This experience, however, is more important than many students realize. According to an annual survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), an overwhelming 95 percent of employers reported that candidate experience is a factor in hiring decisions, and nearly half sought out experience directly from internships or co-op programs.

We live in an age where first impressions are long-lasting. Often, a job offer or even securing a job interview depends on your connections and who you know. The corporate public relations world is no different, and internships and jobs are both becoming more competitive every year. So in the spirit of summer break, Lou Hammond Group is sharing five hot tips and tricks to help you stand out during your internship.

 

 

Have a Good Attitude

One of the most valuable lessons you can learn as an intern and continue to practice for years to come is that no task is too small. Yes, hours upon hours of data entry or running errands or even making coffee for a client may not be the most thrilling of tasks, but we guarantee that your employer will notice if you do them well, timely and with a good attitude. Likewise, they will take note if you seem frustrated or bored. It’s important to remember that there is most likely a reason behind every task given to you, even if you’re unable to see at the time. You may be asked to focus on data entry so you can learn more about the client and later help with writing press releases or designing copy for newsletters. You may be asked to grab coffee or water for a client so your employer can see how you interact with others and decide whether you’re ready to sit in on client meetings. The bottom line- your attitude will be noticed, so always be self-aware.

 

 

Stay Busy

While it may seem obvious, it can be difficult to stay busy at the start of your internship, while you’re still learning your role and later once you are able to complete your assigned tasks quickly or have less supervision. So, it’s important to always look for ways to be creative and stay busy. What that specifically looks like will depend on your internship and employer, but see below for five suggestions from the LHG team:

1. Research your clients. Start with any recent news articles and note their marketing and branding strategies.
2. Research popular editorial trends. Make a list of potential pitches for your supervisor to review.
3. Grab coffee with other employees to learn more about their day-to-day job. Don’t be afraid to show initiative, start conversations or ask questions.
4. Practice. Try your hand at writing a press release for one of your clients or designing an advertisement. Then ask your supervisor to review and offer feedback when they have time.
5. Anticipate your next assignment. If you are working on a specific project, think about what comes next.

 

Show Interest

Internships provide insight into one of two potential realities- it either solidifies your career path or it encourages you to look elsewhere. For those of you whose internships confirm your desire to work in public relations, showing legitimate interest goes a step further than staying busy and is key to your future success. The best way to show interest is to pay attention and ask questions. Moreover, depending on your internship, seek out additional opportunities and ask to participate. Whether it be attending an offsite meeting, after work networking event, conference call or new business pitch, look for ways to constantly learn and show your employer that you are interested. Simply asking questions may lead to the greatest insight during your internship experience.

 

Become Invaluable

Once you’re comfortable with your tasks and your supervisor, it can become tempting to take it easy and coast to the finish line, especially towards the end of your internship. Instead, we recommend making yourself invaluable. How can a college student make themselves invaluable to a PR company? During the course of your internship, figure out what you enjoy most and dedicate your time to perfecting a specific skill. Work towards becoming the go-to person for a specific task. If you enjoy writing press releases, ask your supervisor if you can write the first draft. If you enjoy editing, volunteer to proof-read whenever you have the opportunity. Focus on perfecting your strengths and allow your employer to see your work.

 

 

Stay In Touch

Your internship doesn’t end on your last day, and this final tip could lead to the most beneficial outcome of your entire experience. It’s imperative that you try your best to stay in touch with your supervisor(s) or employer in two specific ways:

1. Exercise the lost art of a thank you note. While this may seem silly to some, writing a simple note to thank your employer for the experience will go a long way in standing out from others.
2. Stay in touch, especially if graduating in the next two years. Send your supervisor a quick email if you see a client mentioned in the news or send them a project you’re working on for school if you incorporated something you learned from your internship. You never know where it could lead or the connections you could make by simply staying in touch. Remember: often times securing a job is all about who you know, and your supervisor could be looking to make a hire when you graduate.

from Lou Hammond Group https://louhammond.com/2019/06/25/advice-for-corporate-pr-interns-five-tips-to-stand-out/
via https://louhammond.com

Goodbye Desktops and Laptops: 10 Tips for Managing Your Workday from Your Smartphone Alone

With faster internet speeds and more work being done on the cloud, smartphones allow remote workers and business travelers the flexibility of being efficient on the go. According to ComScore, mobile use has grown so fast that it’s now the leading digital platform, with total activity on smartphones and tablets accounting for 62 percent of total time spent on digital media. Easy access, however, comes at a price. Smartphones can lead to distractions such as social media and games, which can affect productivity. Additionally, accessing work information from a smartphone can lead to security issues. But, when utilized effectively, smartphones can enable professionals in all industries to crank out top-notch work from anywhere. Lucky for you, we’ve put together a trusted list of our top ten tips for managing work from a smartphone:

 

 

1. Choose the Right Apps

Ensure your smartphone is equipped with apps that can be used across multiple platforms including desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone. Several of the programs most frequently used on company desktops have smartphone apps, including Office 365 and Google’s G Suite. For those that aren’t familiar, G Suite includes Gmail, Hangouts, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Google+ for communication, Drive for storage and Sites for collaboration.

 

2. Stick to a Simple Setup

Fewer apps means fewer distractions and more storage space. Many people fall into the trap of thinking that the more apps you have, the easier it is to solve a slew of problems. The reality is that having more apps typically means more room for confusion – be sure and know what you need and don’t download more than that. Less is more!

 

 

3. Take Advantage of Voice Technology

Siri and other voice assistants can prove extremely helpful in accomplishing small tasks such as typing short emails, pulling phone numbers, sending texts and setting up reminders. Many employees find that they actually prefer using voice assistants to draft emails, as opposed to typing on their smartphone keyboard.

 

4. Check Out Remote Desktop Apps

No matter the industry, there is bound to come a time when you simply need access to your desktop. Remote desktop apps like LogMeIn or TeamViewer allow you to access your desktop and all your files directly from your smartphone with a quick tap.

 

5. Organize Your Home Screen

With the ever-increasing number of smartphone apps available today, your home screen can quickly become a chaotic mess. Be sure and keep your most important apps on the front page of your home screen, with your four most important taking up space in your dock. Place your less important, non-work-related apps on the later pages of your screen. Folders can also prove beneficial for organizing a collection of apps with a common theme such as “G-Suite.”

 

6. Ensure your Smartphone is Secure

Keeping a smartphone secure is vital for many reasons. Not only do you want to prevent data from being lost if your phone is lost or stolen, but you also want to ensure that your personal information isn’t hacked from internet pages you may have visited. Some tips for ensuring your smartphone is secure include using a screen lock, using a SIM card lock, protecting Bluetooth use, switching off wireless connection when it’s not in use, being careful with accepting pop up messages while browsing the web,  turning off geotagging, installing anti-viruses and ensuring your home wireless router is protected by a passcode.

 

 

7. Consider a Portable Bluetooth Keyboard

If you frequently do heavy business work on your smartphone like typing long documents or emails, you know that tapping your fingers on a screen can sometimes get a bit frustrating. While there is no replacement for a real keyboard, there are thankfully high-quality Bluetooth keyboards available to help. If you’re having trouble deciding which Bluetooth Keyboard to purchase for your smartphone, take a look at this article which highlights many of the best options on the market today.

 

8. Consider Collaboration Apps

Team collaboration software is on the rise. From project management to communication, there are dozens of collaboration tools available for businesses that allow employees to effectively communicate while away from the office. Flowdock is a group and private chat platform with a team inbox feature, while GoToMeeting is an online video conferencing app that allows users to schedule meetings and share screens. Slack is an extremely popular platform that offers instant messaging, file transfers and message search, with dozens of features and integrations with other tools like Trello. See here for a list of other groundbreaking collaboration apps that are changing the way businesses work and collaborate while away from the office.

 

9. Establish Clear Communication Protocol with Your Office

Be sure and establish communication guidelines with your coworkers so they know how best to reach you on your smartphone when you are away from the office. Do you wish to be reached by email, text or phone for non-urgent messages, formal requests, quick responses or urgent issues? Many decide that email is best for non-urgent messages and formal requests, while texts work best for quick responses and calls for urgent issues. The decision is all yours!

 

 

10. Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance

While smartphones make it easier than ever to stay in contact, they can also make it extremely easy for employees to overwork and overload themselves, which can lead to burnout. Recognize when to turn off your work phone to take time for yourself. Take phone breaks during the day when working via your smartphone. Give yourself time to think about big picture ideas away from constant email interruptions, sometimes requiring you to put your smartphone aside for a bit or turn it off completely.

 

Managing your workday from your smartphone can seem complicated at first, but as technology becomes more efficient, so can we.

from Lou Hammond Group https://louhammond.com/2019/06/11/goodbye-desktops-and-laptops-10-tips-for-managing-your-workday-from-your-smartphone-alone/
via https://louhammond.com