Intern Diary: Ro
After a whirlwind of a fall 2023 semester, I figured it was time to start thinking about internships to apply for the summer. That was when I found JMG PR, saw they had an open public relations internship application, and went for it. Two months later, I was asked to schedule an interview, and the rest has gone by so fast.
Come June, I was starting my first agency internship and I was nervous. Was it going to be cutthroat and competitive, like rumors I’d heard about other agencies? Were the expectations going to be sky-high and leave me feeling inept in my capabilities? The over-thinking side of me took over the weekend leading up to my first day.
The first day came and it was a blur of training and meeting all new people. On the second day, I actually started working. I was introduced more to Account Executive, Kristen, and Account Coordinator, Elyssa, and I was so thankful I got paired with some of the nicest, most encouraging people I could have imagined. From there, my time at JMG has only given me a greater affinity not only for public relations but also for the people there. Jenna runs an amazing agency staffed with intelligent, creative people who are kind and welcoming.
My pre-internship concerns were thrown out the window with my experience here. I was placed in an environment where I was allowed to mess up, ask for feedback and constructive criticism, and learn how to succeed. I got to shape up skills I’d already learned, like press releases, and learn new skills, like writing pitches, researching for media lists, briefing memos, bios and pitching to journalists.
The culture was also transformative and transcended the boundaries most know as “remote.” Daily briefings in the morning helped me to connect with Kristen and Elyssa, know what they needed me to work on, and how I could get better. Daily pre-lunch meetings, aka Sip the Tea, to gossip, share TV and movie recommendations, give our two cents on celebrity drama, and even have a movie review helped to connect, to share bits and pieces of our days beyond our work. Daily end-of-day meetings to share what we worked on gave us a sense of ownership of our tasks, and to feel recognized and seen for the work we were doing at JMG PR.
My internship at JMG PR has cemented my love for public relations and has given me experience I wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere. I am so thankful for all the amazing women at JMG, especially Jenna, Kristen, and Elyssa, for creating such a welcoming learning environment where I got to hone my public relations skills. Going into my senior year, I have no regrets interning at JMG PR. These two and a half months have flown by, but have left me feeling more prepared than ever to enter into my profession and knowing I have people in my corner at JMG.
