Keep Calm and Ask The Intern
Public relations. Let’s face it – it’s a stressful profession.
Not only do you have to keep up with the completely different and specific needs for each of your clients, you also have to keep up with the unique needs of your firm. And juggling the neverending amount of tasks can prove almost impossible. You need help.
Introducing, The Intern
Remember that three-page long to-do list you created this morning? I mean, can you even find it under the mess of files and papers on your desk? Well good news, you just lost one page to the intern. Oh wait… you have two interns? There goes another page. For the first time in weeks you have time to sit down and eat lunch. You get to eat your sandwich on a plate instead of out of a plastic bag. You have discovered the PR jackpot, also known as The Intern.
The Intern is wonderful. He or she is greedy for experience and will do anything to get it. Write up a media advisory, pitch it and follow up with the reporters? The Intern will do it. Run next door to order you that Triple Venti Half Sweet Non-Fat Caramel Macchiato you love? The Intern will do it. And the best part of it all? He or she just saved you about countless hours of your time.
Ask The Intern
Now that you have excess time on your hands, don’t just continue giving tasks to The Intern, ask them questions. Let them provide you with feedback regarding their internship, your company and your clients. Chances are, The Intern has a different perspective than you and may even have some really good ideas.
Running the social media for a client, but it just seems to be at a stand still? Ask The Intern to audit your client’s presence on each social media platform. Let he or she create engagement driving content and a strategic social plan to follow each week for maximum results. Give The Intern the chance to prove himself or herself.
Have a smaller, more personal client? Include The Intern in client meetings and field trips and let he or she speak up. You’ve heard The Intern’s great ideas behind the scenes, so let he or she take credit and present it to the client. Not only will it strengthen his or her public speaking skills, it will also give he or she that much needed confidence boost.
The Intern is also good in high stress situations. Need to finish that proposal before the deadline tomorrow? Ask The Intern to read it over. This will help you in two ways: 1) He or she will edit it and catch any grammatical or spelling errors and 2) He or she will let you know if it makes sense and is easily understandable. And when you’re off to that client meeting, The Intern will know to boost your morale by yelling “You got this!” as you walk out the door.
Thank The Intern
Get used to thanking The Intern whenever they produce good work. If he or she does not feel as though you are appreciative of them, he or she may begin slacking at the office, taking more days off, or worse yet, leave. After all, The Intern is the reason you can finally see your desk.*
*Editor’s Note: This excellent post should not in any way, shape or form be viewed as a reflection of the internship experience at AlexanderG Public Relations, where our interns are thanked regularly, fed occasionally and almost always asked their opinions.
P.S. Thank you, Brooklyn. And Devin.–Alex
