Hey there, I’m Elizabeth! This summer’s intern in the LA office and Communications student at UC Davis. Admittedly, I sought an internship in public relations because “I could totally see you in PR, Liz!” became a recurrent conversation topic among my friends and family. At the beginning of the summer I wasn’t sure what to expect but I quickly discovered the meaning and importance of doing work you love. At Jive, every day is a new creative challenge because each client receives a unique and tailored campaign that is different than the one before. In the midst of my experience, I realized my work was adding great value to the company and that my projects had an impact on the client accounts I had become fully immersed in.
Over the last three months, I have worked on a variety of projects as needed to help throughout the office. I’ve learned how to monitor media, generate pitches, create and update media lists of potential contacts and develop web content. In addition, I have gained experience generating media coverage reports and conducting in-depth research while having the guidance and support of…well actually, the entire office.
Here are my top three takeaways from an enjoyable but intense internship experience at Jive PR + Digital:
A lot of them! Asking questions and participating in active listening has been a key experience for me. When in doubt, the only way to find the right answer is to ask. It’s not always possible to know the right answers starting out, and the executive staff at Jive has always welcomed questions and been a source of guidance when I needed advice to complete a project. Here, I have found an open-ended environment where honest dialogue thrives and it has been crucial to my growth and confidence as a professional.
At the beginning of my internship, I feared not knowing the right answers. My first few weeks were spent absorbing a sea of new information and after putting in effort, I questioned whether I was able to deliver quality work. Having confidence in my ability to seek the right information, conduct proper research, and deliver adequate results with the help of the Jive team was the only way to get through the situation. It’s cheesy but…#Believeinyourself!
I have learned that client deliverables must be presented with a specific target audience in mind to evidence impactful results. My summer experience has taught me that an essential aspect of the public relations industry involves knowing that audience and how to create meaningful messages that resonate with their interests, which can be done through conducting research. To drive meaningful results, it’s important to align thought processes with those of your clients’.
It sure was a summer well spent with the Jive crew. Each team member is filled with such a passion for both social and traditional public relations that truly made this internship an unforgettable place to grow and an even better place to learn.
Got something to add? Sound off @jivepr or @jiveprdigital!
Jive Contributor: Elizabeth Tune
