5 Key Takeaways of Going from Intern to Full-Time Employee

maxresdefault-2By Heather Ebert
Internships serve various purposes for college students, including the opportunity to explore different career paths and network. The “holy grail” is to land a full-time job after graduation. This doesn’t always happen though, and for different reasons. Over the course of my college career at community college and then UNC Chapel Hill, I worked several internships to gain experience and network. But when I came to RLF Communications in the summer of 2015, things were different. I realized that I found a great company and a great place to launch my career in public relations. I spent the next year working diligently to become better at my craft and create a place for myself on the RLF team.
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Learning and Leaving From Brussels

By Monty Hagler
Let’s start with the end.
There are remarkably few reminders of the March terror attacks in Brussels until you depart for the recently reopened airport three hours in advance of the flight home, laden with Belgian chocolates. Traffic jams and merges into a single lane on the approach, allowing soldiers at multiple check points to peer into vehicles as they slowly move forward. Taxis drop passengers 400 yards from the terminal. Hundreds of people drag their bags towards the base of the parking deck. Then up you climb, circling the spiraling car ramp in loops that make you breathe like the 30-minute mark in spin class.
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Public Relations Lessons From Celebrities That Apply to Not-So-Celebrity Clients

By Heather Ebert

Recently, singer Taylor Swift penned an open letter to Apple via her Tumblr page expressing dissatisfaction with Apple Music’s policy to not pay artists for music streamed during the service’s free three-month trial period. She stated that because of this policy she would not release her album “1989” on the platform. Apple quickly reversed its policy and pledged to pay artists during the trial period, which began June 30.

The intensity and reach of the public eye often requires that celebrities like Swift be very transparent and responsive with the media and their fans, especially when news stories or scandals break. There are many celebrities that handle such events almost seamlessly, but there are others whose actions make the situation worse. There are lessons to be learned from both. Here are the top three PR do’s and don’ts that we can take from celebrities.

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Summer Intern Spotlight: Heather Ebert

Heather EbertIdentifying a sector in the communications field that is the right fit for each person can be challenging. Public relations professionals work for a variety of businesses, nonprofits and government companies both nationally and internationally.
At RLF, interns are exposed to agency life. They get a firsthand look at how professionals multitask, work in teams and move forward in a fast-paced environment. Then, they are one step closer to narrowing down where they want to start their future career.
Our final summer intern spotlight is on Heather.
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Summer Intern Spotlight: Rebecca Phillips

RebeccaThe communications industry is constantly in flux and there is always room to learn. Even after attending comprehensive classes at a college or university, students should strive to supplement knowledge with real world experience.
At RLF, our interns work alongside seasoned industry professionals to learn the ins and outs of public relations, marketing and advertising.
Today our summer intern spotlight is on Rebecca.
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Summer Intern Spotlight: Amanda Garrity

Amanda GarrityRLF recently held its annual summer intern bootcamp to welcome three new interns to the team. In an effort to introduce students to the company and give them insight into communications tasks they will complete, team members gave short presentations on industry topics. For example, Vice President Michelle Rash shared tips for making the most out of an internship at RLF and Communications Manager Alyssa Bedrosian pointed out effective uses of social media.

This summer we are welcoming to the team Heather Ebert, Amanda Garrity and Rebecca Phillips. Our first intern spotlight is on Amanda. 
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Three Things to Look for in a PR Internship

By Adam Bowers

If you’re studying public relations, you’ve probably heard this countless times from professors, peers, parents and professional connections: It is really important to find an internship. You’re no doubt sick and tired of hearing it, but unfortunately, it’s true. Internships are important in any industry, but they’re especially crucial in PR. The good news is that there are a lot of agencies looking for strong intern talent to support them. Many budding PR pros are tempted to take the first internship offer that they receive, but it’s important to remember that not all internship programs are created equal. There are three things that RLF believes every young PR professional should seek in an internship:
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5 Ways to Survive Your First Year as a PR Pro

By Alyssa Bedrosian

Graduating from college and diving headfirst into the world of public relations can be scary. No matter how many internships you had or how great your professors were, you will never be fully prepared for your first full-time position at an agency or an in-house communications department. Managing client relationships, mastering the pitch, and working effectively in a team are skills that you learn on the job – not in a classroom.
However, there are some concrete ways you can prepare for your first year in PR. As a young professional myself, I’ve learned how to navigate the industry and come out successful, even when that meant getting a few bumps and bruises along the way. Here are some of my tips for those entering the field:
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Fewer Numbers, Bigger Goals

By Monty Hagler

We’re two weeks into 2015, and I’m proud to say I’m right on track with my New Year’s resolutions. Cynics might say it’s because I set them too low, but I have a different point of view. Rather than focusing on daily numbers and measurements, I’ve instead decided to concentrate on the ultimate objectives. Fewer numbers, yet bigger goals.
In my personal life, I’m not going to chart my weight, count my calories or clock my times in the pool this year. My goal is to be fitter, leaner and healthier. A dual-edged strategy should get me there – work out with more intensity and more often, and eat less and more infrequently.
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Hamlet’s Blackberry by William Powers: How to Build a Good Life in the Digital Age

By Taylor Smith

I have read many books and articles discussing the digital age and how smartphones and laptops have taken over our lives and diminished our ability to communicate face to face. I have read fewer books and articles that provide useful insight on how to not fall victim to our technologies and how to be a productive and skilled communicator in this era. Hamlet’s Blackberry: Building a Good Life in the Digital Age, thoughtfully crafted by William Powers, is the answer to our connected conundrum. Powers provides insight on how human beings have adapted to new technologies since writing and reading were invented in ancient Rome, and how to be a productive employee while still enjoying and utilizing our Internet connectedness.
During my time as an intern at RLF, I’ve noticed the challenges that face public relations professionals in the digital age. When is it appropriate to email a client versus call a client? What is the best way to pitch a reporter – email, social media or phone? How should I effectively communicate with my account team? While the answer isn’t always black and white, Hamlet’s Blackberry shares insight on how to effectively use new technologies to help us live a good life in the digital age.
Here are the top three digital life lessons I learned from Powers:

Create balance

Email is necessary for just about every PR function—pitching reporters, working with clients, communicating internally, etc. It is impossible to ignore our forever overflowing email inboxes, but sometimes it is necessary to take a break and step away from the emails and the computer all together. As an intern at RLF, I was surprised by the amount of emails I had waiting for me every morning and it took the first 15-20 minutes of my day to sort through them. There is something to be said about using pen and paper to take notes and draft ideas, as well as picking up the telephone to have a conversation with someone rather than sending them an email or a text. If you are using email for internal communication, try instead to get up and talk to your coworkers face to face. This type of communication provides a break from the computer screen, ensures you won’t get distracted on an unrelated website, and can ultimately be much more efficient and productive.

Be adaptable

Laptops, smartphones and tablets are just a few of a long list of technologies that have been introduced to society over the course of human history. First there was writing and reading, then printing, followed by a whole slew of inventions that were created to make our lives easier. At some point, most of these technologies were met with resistance because they were new and changed the way things were historically done. The point that Powers makes in his book is that our society eventually adopted writing and reading, and our lives would be missing substance without these technologies. It is only a matter of time before our society adapts to more recently introduced technologies, and the excessive Internet connectivity will become regularly and effortlessly integrated into our daily lives.
Personally, I use my smartphone and laptop on a daily basis to conduct school work and balance a social life, and I could not do these things without them; using these technologies are a normal part of my day from the time I get up to when I go to bed at night. In the same way, it’s important for PR and marketing professionals to adapt to and adopt new technology as part of our overall strategic plan. Whether it’s social media, digital marketing or website development, the industry is always changing and communications organizations have to keep up.

Know when to unplug and when to plug in

Knowing when to plug into the connected “crowd” and when to unplug and be alone with your thoughts is essential in obtaining and maintaining the aforementioned balance. Powers suggests taking a break from being connected because we are often plagued with information overload, and it is beneficial to unplug in order to process it all. The more time we take to process information, the more useful it will be to us in the future and will enhance our productivity. Sometimes we need to step away from the screen to foster creativity and develop new ideas and strategic plans that will help set our clients apart from the competition.
I find it helpful to take a break and walk away from my computer periodically during the day, and when I am at home I make an effort to put my smartphone down and focus on conversations with friends in person or meditating on my day. Doing these things clears my mind and allows me to be more productive and effective when it comes time to be connected at RLF or for school.
As PR professionals, we need to learn both how to connect and how to disconnect when necessary. While we need to be on top of news as it happens and constantly available for clients, we also need to be able to step away from the screen and communicate in person. Fostering relationships has been achieved without computers for centuries — we can still do it today. Growing up as a millennial, I am prone to sending an email or text instead of making a phone call or having an in-person meeting, but that isn’t going to get us as far in an industry centered around building relationships. Powers’ advice to the digital generation is this: “Sometimes the coolest device is no device at all.” Put the screen down for a moment and enjoy the ride.