Intern Diaries: Jessica H.

When I first accepted my internship with JMG Public Relations, all I felt was excitement. Living in Oklahoma my whole life, I felt more than ready to get out of my comfort zone and explore things not only in New York but within the public relations industry. I was ready to see what really goes on in the public relations world outside of the walls of my college, The University of Oklahoma.

I will be a senior this year, 2020, being on the PRSSA exec for my school, and with the previous internships I have had, I knew I had the tools to accomplish a lot during this summer internship!

When I started my first day at JMG, we were given tasks right away. Slowly, I began to get the hang of it and realize all of the benefits this internship would provide for me. Like any new experience, I faced obstacles, but with practice and the help of those above me, I learned so many valuable skills that I will be able to utilize in the future!

As the internship went on, I focused on my personal growth and noticed myself slowly starting to become comfortable with the material and jobs I was being given.

One of my personal favorite parts of the internship was having the opportunity to interact with “real life” clients. Yes, the internship was completely virtual because of the coronavirus, but having the experience to communicate and write pieces for people who owned businesses like Mike with BIGGBY COFFEE or celebrities trying to grow their career like Darnell “SuperChef” Ferguson was an honor and made me feel like I had a place on the team. Another necessary project I enjoyed was the research portion. When one hears the term “research” it does not sound super exciting, however, it is so important in public relations. It benefits not only the public relations firm but the client.

Another daily task I enjoyed was running the social media platforms for a few weeks. I had the opportunity to extend my internship an extra two weeks and because I had been learning so much, it was an easy yes. Social media is one of the biggest ways of communicating in this day and age, therefore it is something any business should acquire and stay active on. Not only did I have the chance to run JMG and Jenna’s Instagram page, but I also had the opportunity to run our client, Brooklyn MLS’s Facebook and Instagram. I now understand the consistency that is needed as well as the different “vibes” each page has and how they differ.

As the summer continued, my days consisted of Mockup/ Summaries, media lists, past press lists, and writing pitches. From working on these projects, I gained so many skills. I now understand how to do these things as well as understand the concept behind them and why it is important. Because we were given such a variety of tasks, it was very easy to stay motivated.

I could not have excelled at this internship on my own. With the constant support of Jenna, Lauren, and Frances I feel I have been able to make accomplishments I can leave this internship feeling proud of. I feel the team had faith in my skills, which is very important when learning new things! The bright spirit of these ladies made me happy to sit at home and work, even though it was not ideal, I was surrounded by great people who made working an enjoyable environment!

I will never forget the many things I learned over the span of this internship. I truly feel lucky to have been invited onto JMG’s team. I feel more confident than ever that I have the potential to succeed in the public relations industry. I may still have things to learn, but with the experience I now have with JMG public relations in my background, I feel I can take on the world!

-Jessica H.