Fish out of Water?

Since the last time I blogged I started thinking about what I was thinking when I started to apply for internships and how that relates to the experiences that I have had so far.

When I was looking for internships, I used the Career Center’s website as a jumping off point. Anything that was “tagged” with Advertising, Marketing, or Communications caught my eye. Little did I know, my internship with The Gabriel Institute, was focused on PR.

Now, you would think that being an Ad major in an internship focused on PR would be somewhat difficult. Surprisingly, it’s fun, interesting, and enjoyable. At first I thought being in a PR internship would be somewhat difficult, since that was not the subject I’ve been studying for the past two and a half years, but it isn’t.

PR and Advertising are similar, but have their distinct differences concerning benefits and uses.  Being the PR intern at The Gabriel Institute, I used what I have learned in my Ad classes about promoting products and placing media when promoting the features, benefits, and services of my host company.

I’ve learned the ins and outs of press releases, helped plan events for the company, as well as learned the different ways to use social media and the internet to promote a business.

Although at first, I thought I would be a fish out of water, it’s not as scary as I thought it would be. I’m learning new things while using my own skills. I’m glad I didn’t let the title of the internship deter me from applying. I would have missed out on a great learning opportunity.