Hello Everyone,
My name is Colleen Schmidt and I am a senior at California University of Pennsylvania. My major is Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. I have also taken up a minor in Women's Studies.
In just a couple of hours, I will be moving down to Arlington, VA where I will be interning for a PR and Marketing Full-Service Agency called Brotman Winter Fried Communications. I will work closely with account executive. Her account is closely linked to event planning, promoting and public relations. Judging by BWF's website (http://www.specialevent.com/contactus.html) and the communication I have had with some of their employees, this agency appears to have a well-established and highly interactive internship program. BWF assures that each intern will be treated as an actual employee.
Some of the duties and tasks that I will be responsible for include: writing press releases, creating media lists, producing and implementing public relations campaigns, assisting with promotional activities, being involved with on-site projects, as well as event marketing and planning, and will engage in some client contact and advertising work. I will also have the chance to become involved in several different client accounts: locally, regionally and nationally- ranging from large corporate levels and small local levels.
After securing my internship, I wanted to develop a list of goals that I hope to reach throughout my experience. 1) Improve my communication skills (both written and oral) 2) Develop an "eye for detail" 3) Learn how to better organize my tasks by creating lists and timed schedules 4) Become better acquainted with the entire event-planning process and the tools/techniques that are used 5) Develop a more professional demeanor 6) Obtain leadership skills that will help me to become a successful and well-liked leader (I don't want to be bossy, I want to learn how to take charge, but not take over)
As you can imagine, I am very excited for this internship. I think it will be a valuable experience and will benefit me in numerous ways. Stay tuned for more blogs regarding my preparation for the internship and what my first day as an intern was like.
Thank you,
Colleen Schmidt
