For you to land a good PR intern job, there a number of fundamental traits that will aid you in getting ahead of the competition and increase your chances of getting a full time position. As the name suggests, PR jobs require that you be comfortable with the public and with strangers. This should not be mistaken with being loud or abrasive. Surprisingly, many of the successful public relations experts have a seemingly mild disposition but are still extroverted enough to successfully interact with the external stakeholders of the institution that they represent. Note that as a PR job intern, you might not have the same amount of leeway as the permanent PR staff. Nevertheless, you must a carry yourself with an aura of responsibility but taking care not to come across as arrogant among your new colleagues, but rather as a team player.
Another key skill that is closely related with interpersonal skills is communication. Excellent oral and written communication skills are imperative in public relations. PR jobs have little margin for error on this front. As the face of the company to the outside world, what and how you communicate has repercussions on the organization. As a PR job intern, you will be expected to mainly prepare well written communiqués with virtually no oral communication. Take time to observe the more senior and experienced members of the PR team to see the kind of language and tone they use when representing the organization in any forum.
When it comes to organization of PR events, the PR intern is often the person tasked with handling the activities in the background. This would include sending invitations to attendees of dinners or product launches, serving as the media liaison on matters advertising or booking event venues. The PR intern may be required to accompany a senior member of staff to a major event. This is why what a PR professional wears is very important. Unlike other positions where one may be able to get away with a lackluster look, persons in PR jobs dress for both members of staff but more importantly for external stakeholders. The PR intern must start to practice dressing in a way that projects the company's image to its external stakeholders.
As a PR intern, you may also be required to run other errands. This is one area where one may easily lose out on future opportunity. Regardless of the intention of the person sending you, agreeing to do such errands that you might consider 'not commensurate with your academic qualifications' will be a strong statement of your positive attitude and your willingness to take one for the team if the need ever arises.
