I have spent the last few month interning at DeVries Public Relations. Last July I nervously sputtered my name off to Stephanie Smirnov after asking her about an internship via Twitter. I later found out that Stephanie was in fact President of the company. She carries herself in a way that makes you feel as ease and speaks to you as a friend. This internship was incredibly rewarding and I thought today I would break it down into the Five Things I Learned Interning at DeVries.
5. Title doesn’t matter.
I have never worked in the corporate world. DeVries really was my first taste at what it might be like. I had a notion coming in that title and superiority would be a large factor in working with colleagues. I came in as an intern which is the smallest title that you could have. This title, however, did not change the way that people spoke to me. I had Senior colleagues asking me for ideas and opinions. They did not only ask me but listened and guided and advised. I always felt as though I was an equal. If this is the way corporate world really works I am ready to take it on!
4. Digital Media is consistently a part of conversation.
Everywhere you look people are discussing Digital Media. The ways in which brands can get involved and the latest news in blogging. DeVries takes a special interest in Digital Media. They are continually finding new ways to get involved in the Digital Media space. I found that most of my colleagues at DeVries were on Twitter. Some were blogging and many were attending digital media conferences in hopes of meeting new people and learning more about the space. As you may know, DeVries even sponsored the 140 conference supplying attendees with Wi-Fi. (It is obvious they get what is important).
*I have included a list of great DeVries employees for you to follow!
3. Team work is essential.
I will make a confession here. I have alot of trouble working on teams. I like to be in charge and control what is happening on a project. However, I never found working on a team at DeVries hard. I worked on one major project that included a large team. It was so organized and ran so smoothly that I did not have the usual anxieties that often come with team work. Each member had their job and their responsibilities. It was all very organized and helped me to see that working on a team is not always bad.
2. New Ideas are Always Appreciated
I have another confession here. I am quite opinionated and always full of ideas. Often times I hold my opinions back in fear of offending someone. That was not an option working at DeVries. Colleagues wanted to hear my ideas. They asked for my opinions and listened to them. These people love new ideas.
1. They Care about bloggers.
I am normally a member of the blogging world more so than public relations. I have many friends that are bloggers and I am continually making connections online. There is this assumption made by bloggers than PR people just don’t understand them. I cannot tell you how un-true this idea is at DeVries. Many of the people that I worked closely had strong relationships with blogger. Many even considered themselves friends with bloggers. They have conversations via Twitter and often meet up at social media events. Some even spoke on the phone with bloggers just to see how they were doing. They are consistently looking for new ways to work with bloggers. Not because blogging is the new big thing but because they adore so many so of you.
As Promised Twitter Names For You:
@ssmirnov
@joncronin
@lpearson
@laurenpavlick
@alymazz
@bevinorourke
@lpesin
@AmySho
@oneillmolly
@QueenBee24
@JennWeldon
@lizaweiner
@lmckinley
@ashleyzink
@katiebest
@KathyCash
@EileenMoore
I grew up in an interesting generation. When college was discussed in my family it wasn’t discussed as an option. You just went to college. That is what people did. This was how college was discussed in most homes of my generation. Here lies the problem:
My father never attended college. My mother did not graduate from college until I was seventeen years old. So, here we have two parents who had never attended college encouraging their child to attend with no true notion of what college was like. (note: I am not criticizing the lack of education here)
There are certain assumptions that many parents have made about their children attending college. I heard my classmates discuss them in highschool and I have witnessed them in college. The assumption being, if you attend college you will graduate and then you will begin your career.
Bing. Bang. Boom.
Right?
The economy is hard. Many college graduates never find their dream job. Many college graduates fail to find a job. Why does noone discuss this? Because it is scary.
When colleges were first founded the idea was not to attend in hopes of a grand career. Ok, maybe there was that idea in mind. Mainly, the idea was to get an education. Soak up the intelligence from the minds of great philosophers. Study the past experiments that great chemists had conducted. Learn as much about the world as you can find and experience it. After leaving college you did not search for that corporate job that would complete you life. You took your knowledge and applied it to the world. You found a way to combine your passion and knowledge together. You looked for completion.
Many college students enter universities looking for nothing more than a job. For money. They skate through classes barely making grades. They go out and have a good time. They read texts when forced and cringe at the idea of test taking. For they know they will leave college and begin a career.
Bing. Bang. Boom.
Right?
