An internship in any industry is vital to getting a foot in the door and a leg up on your competition with respect to obtaining a job. It helps determine if this field is the right one for the student or job-seeker, as well as provide the necessary introductory training for the intern to learn the basic skills of said profession.

In public relations, an internship is often the key to a successful career in the field as it encompasses most of the duties a person finds in an entry-level position, and not just administrative tasks. From learning how to use media-centric databases, performing client research, preparing clip reports, coordinating and working special events and helping with social media projects among other tasks, interns really get a taste of the many skills and communication methods that are required to become a solid PR practitioner.

Additionally, a public relations internship can help an applicant determine if he or she wants to work on the agency or in-house side of the industry. As my colleague Regina wrote in an earlier post, positions on either side can be very rewarding depending if you have the right skill set and personality to match the position. An internship is very useful in helping students and job-seekers navigate the waters of in-house and agency life and determine what side is the right fit for them.

Most importantly, public relations internships provide interns with skills that contribute to their overall professional success and not just within the industry. A few examples include:  learning the fine art of networking through helping with and staffing special events; becoming well versed in social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, that can help their job prospects; and enhancing their written communication skills through press release, pitch and letter writing.

I know my media relations internship in college certainly paved the way for me to become a strong PR practitioner. Let me know how your internship helped you in the comments section below.

Chris McCann, president of I-800-Flowers, goes undercover as a floral designer in the season finale of "Undercover Boss."

Whoever is behind 1-800-Flowers.com appearing on the CBS show “Undercover Boss” should be given a raise and a gold star for smart PR. Following the appearance of the company’s president and COO Chris McCann on the show, the company’s stock rose by 5% the very next day. It’s not the most inventive public relations move for the company, but it was practical and intelligent nonetheless. Most importantly, it produced quick, tangible and profitable results.

Sometimes companies that have a good amount of money to spend on PR and marketing get caught up in producing spectacular or outrageous stunts that they believe will attract the attention of the masses: consumers and journalists alike. Sometimes it works, more times than not, it doesn’t. And why? There are always a host of different reasons, but it can usually be pinpointed to an unoriginal idea, bad execution, or a combination of both.

That’s why going on “Undercover Boss” worked for 1-800-Flowers.com. It wasn’t an ‘out-of-the-box’ PR idea. It was straightforward and to the point. It highlighted the company in an ideal manner and showed the president as a real person doing real, everyday work. In other words, it made viewers (and 1-800-Flowers consumers) connect to the company, relate and act on that feeling – a key element to keeping a company in business and profitable.

Many times, that’s the best strategy to take to promote your company: direct, simple and smart.

Did you catch the episode? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below.

One of the aspects I like most about working in public relations is interacting with the media. During my time in the industry I’ve been able to cultivate some great relationships with journalists, bookers and producers that have really helped my clients (and let’s not kid ourselves, myself as well). It’s rewarding to work with people you like and respect and make everyone in the process (yourself, the journalist and the client) happy.

Because I enjoy working with the press so much, I thought I’d share some tips that have helped me along the way. Nothing here is truly groundbreaking, but they work! The main takeaway? Relate to the reporter, whether it is personally, professionally or both. Here’s how:

• Stay in touch – Once you work with a journalist, producer or booker, it’s important to cultivate the relationship whether it be online (if they reside outside of where you work) or in person. Send emails outside of pitches; talk on the phone; meet up for lunch or drinks. This way, journalists get to know you and will remember you. Hopefully instead of chasing them to run a story, they might even come to you to help out with one!
• In a similar vein, but worth making note of, make the relationship tangible – I’ve always gotten the best results for clients with journalists that I have a real, in-person relationship with. It’s not always about taking them to lunch or for drinks. Meet up at networking events (Meetup groups) and trade shows (CES). Make it a point to show reporters that you’re interested in their beats and have clients that can help make their job easier. The enthusiasm on your face alone will probably seal the deal for them and make them want to work with you.
• Don’t abuse the relationship – Once a relationship has been established with someone from the press, don’t abuse it. It’s simple, just because you know them doesn’t mean you can throw any old pitch their way. If you start barraging them with pitches for multiple clients, they will most likely see it as harassment, desperate or annoying. Most likely, they’ll see it as all of the above and not want to write about or book your client. Be selective and appropriate with pitching the media, even when you do have a relationship with them.
• Be professional, but relatable – No one wants to work with a robot. If we did, I think PR professionals and journalists would have chosen different industries. Provide journalists with what they need in the most professional way possible: timely, politely and with all the information they might need. But add in some personality. They can probably get what they need from 10 other PR reps they know. If they feel connected to you or just genuinely like you, they’ll come to you every time.

There you have it! If you have any additional tips, feel free to post them in the comments section below or email me.

Do you manage social media programs for your clients? What’s your strategy? On Monday night, I attended the #SMPR event in NYC where I was able to hear from a panel of local PR practitioners (moderated by Affect’s own Leslie Campisi) who are responsible for managing their agency’s social media efforts. Read about my takeaways from the event on the Johnson King blog!