PR Internships

Walker Sands Communications

Learn more about Walker Sands Communications Internships. 

Chicago PR agency and marketing consulting firm. Assist clients with branding, positioning, marketing strategies, public relations, design, web development and SEO. Clients range from startups to Fortune 50 companies. Clients are located around the world, spanning a wide array of industries.

Also, read Walker Sands Communications Internship Reviews and search for PR Internships.

Top 10 Internships

InternshipKing is hosting a people's choice award for America's Top Internship. PR internships are listed as well as internships throughout all industries. The top 10 best internships have been announced. The only pure PR internship is from APCO Worldwide.

After 72,000 votes...

The World's Top 10 Internships

PR Talent Communities! Get PR Internships!

GrouperEye- Start the Revolution! Join a talent community. Get a job or internship. Gain a reputation.

The future of college recruiting is here.  September 15th marks the day that everything changes.  GrouperEye.com, a new website dedicated to changing college recruiting forever, has launched with a sexy new makeover.

What is GrouperEye?  It is a solution to the status quo.  It is a new way for students and companies to connect.  Most importantly, it is a better way to find the perfect job- or the perfect student to fill that job. GrouperEye allows companies to build talent communities.

How does it work?  Companies create profiles, run challenges, and post updates that students can follow.  Students are able to follow the companies they are interested in, impress them with their smarts in case challenges, and get their foot in the door with the companies they really care about.  Sure beats going to a career fair and throwing your resume into the pile, huh?

Students- get an internship or entry level job because of what you can do.  Not what you look like on your resume, not where you went to school, and not how much you can charm someone in an interview.  Companies- find better talent.  Identify those diamonds in the rough that you would have missed using your conventional tools. And do it in a new, exciting, and scalable way.

The future is here. Join a talent community!

PR Internship Experience

There is definitely a lot of talk about whether or not PR interns should be able to pitch the media. Just because you landed a pr internship, should you be able to pitch the media? That is the question.

Here is Jeremy Porter thinks:

Here are a few other reasons why I don’t think you should let your intern do the pitching for you:

• Interns don’t know your business. The typical internship is three months long. How long have you been working? Chances are you know a lot more about the topic than your intern. Reporters won’t just agree to talk to you without asking a few questions. If your intern can’t answer those questions, the reporter will quickly lose interest and move onto the next story.

• Interns will sound scripted. You have to get reporters excited most of the time. If you’re reading a script, they’ll pick up on it. You need to sell the story, to get them excited about what you’re pitching. This comes from more than a couple months experience.

• Interns don’t know the “dos and don’ts”. Your intern may think it’s perfectly fine to ask a reporter “when will you be able to write about the release I sent?” or “can you make sure our story appears on the front page, my boss says it has to be a front page story?” These are both real examples.

• Interns are still learning. It’s an internship, which is part of college. College is a place where you learn stuff. You can’t expect an intern to be completely up to speed yet. They’re still developing their writing experience (a big point). They’re still learning what media relations is, let alone how it works. If you have a great training organization in your company, you may be able to give your intern more responsibility.

• Interns take “no” for an answer. A lot of reporters will reject your pitch right out of the gate. They’re interrupted all day long and do their best to get you off the phone in under a minute. If a reporter says, “can you call me back later?”, most interns will say “sure.” The chances of getting the reporter back on the phone are slim to none. You have to be polite and aggressive (provided your pitch is relevant). It could be your only chance.

• Interns are fearless. This is not always the best thing. Good interns will call any media outlet and pitch any story angle you ask them to. This is the media relations equivalent of jumping off a bridge if asked. I have seen interns asked to pitch stories that more experienced PR professionals didn’t think they could place (because they knew the story was weak). This takes advantage of the intern, setting them up for failure and not necessarily providing them with the best work experience.

• Interns aren’t paid by your clients. In agency environments, clients are paying for your best talent. Having an intern work on a client account (without authorization) is a no-no. Provide the best available team to work on client accounts – or prepare to spend more time looking for clients.

Here is what Beck Johns thinks:

This morning, I read a post on the Journalistics blog by Jeremy Porter entitled “Don’t Let Your Intern Pitch.” The basic argument Jeremy makes is against public relations interns making pitches to journalists, and he offers seven reasons why.

• Interns don’t know your business
• Interns will sound scripted
• Interns don’t know the “dos and don’ts”
• Interns are still learning
• Interns take “no” for an answer
• Interns are fearless
• Interns aren’t paid by your clients

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To me, this is an interesting debate about pr internships. Check out marketing internships, intern cover letters, and internships resumes.

Internship Information

Our collection of websites can be a little overwhelming, so here’s a guide as to how each one can provide some value to you in your search for internships:

how-i-got-my-internship.com
This is a website where you can learn how others around you are finding ways to land internships.  You can utilize this website to get ideas on how to find internships near you, or just to post a great story about your own achievement in finding an internship.

thedailyintern.com
The Daily Intern is an up and coming site that allows interns everywhere to share humorous stories about their internships.  Everyone has funny experiences, and The Daily Intern is the place to share them.  Visit the website today to share your hilarious internship story!

marketing-internship.com
This is a great website for anyone hoping to find a marketing internship.  On this site you can find articles discussing brainstorming sessions, where to find marketing internships, marketing case competitions, and more.  Marketing internships can provide some great field experience to students, so be sure to check out the website today to gain a leg up in your search.

internship-work.com
This site is a great asset to getting the most out of your internship.  There are some great internships out there, but there are some pretty bland ones, too.  It could just be that there is work to be done, but no one at the firm with the time to give you assignments.  Articles on this website offer advice on how to get the most out of your opportunity, and also offer the greatest value to your employers.  Now that’s something you can both appreciate.

internship-interview.com
Interviewing for an internship can be extremely intimidating.  You are competing with many other applicants, and the interview is pretty much the only place where you can distinguish and sell yourself to the company.  We live in an environment of resume flooding, so learning how to nail the internship you desire is key.  This site is filled with articles offering some great tips for acing your interview.

new-york-internship.com
The Big Apple can be the greatest and worst place to begin your internship search.  While it is quite true that the most successful companies in the world can be found in New York City, you are in competition with an exorbitant amount of applicants for the very same position you are gunning for. This website offers advice on interning in New York ranging from finding value in your internship after you’ve completed it to getting the most out of the prime location your internship exists in: the city that never sleeps.

chicago-internship.com
Chicago is the locus of many emerging markets in the United States.  Finding an internship in Chicago may prove to be difficult, but well worth it in the end.  It is a great city to intern in; and the network to take advantage of is limitless.  This website offers advice on which steps you should initially take to find that perfect Chicago internship.  Good luck!

washington-dc-internship.com
Washington is one of the hot spots in the country for finding internships.  While many parts of the economy have virtually frozen, Washington is filled with internships at firms that are still growing.  Although opportunities are still available, the competition is fierce.  That doesn’t mean you aren’t qualified, but you’re going to need all the help you can get.  This site is a great resource for gaining an advantage and getting the most out of your Washington, DC internship experience.

advertising-internships.com
The world of advertising has changed dramatically over the past ten years, and the rapid shift isn’t nearly over yet.  With the constantly changing means of advertising to target audiences, every company that wants to be successful needs to keep coming up with new ways to attract customers and deliver information.  In order to do this, firms are looking for the best talent out there at just about any cost.  They need innovators by the barrelful, and it can be tough to stand out amongst them.  Advertising-internships.com is a great tool to use in learning how to land the advertising positions you are aching for.

Internship-cover-letter.com
As it becomes increasingly difficult to land internships over other applicants in your field, you’re going to need to rise above the rest.  Not every internship is going to request a formal cover letter, but regardless of the position, you’ll have to address a letter to someone at one point or another.  Unprofessional cover letters can be a real turn off to employers, and might provoke them to set your application aside.  This website is a great tool for not only providing useful tips on how to write a cover letter, but also how to use them to your advantage every time.

Internship-students.com
This website provides views from the student and employer side all about internships and co-ops available.  When applying for these positions, the first question should always be “what is my ideal internship?”  If you neglect to ask yourself that question from the start, you’re going to find yourself settling for the next best thing.  The next thing you need to ask is “what kind of intern are these companies looking for?”  If you don’t ask that question, you can’t answer it.  You should be ready in every way to take on the internships you apply for, and this website can take you much closer to being there.

Resume-internship.com
For better or worse, during the application process, your resume is your face.  That’s all people are going to look at until they feel you deserve their time in an interview.  Due to this, you need to do whatever it takes to boast an all-star resume.  If you are applying for internships, it is likely that you have many questions about what to do with your resume: how to format it, what font to use, how long it should be, how to get it out there.  This website is your one stop source for the answers to all those questions.

Design-internships.com
Graphic design is one of the most important fields out there.  In a world where we are exposed to hundreds of thousands of brands and commercials on a daily basis, companies have an insatiable demand for creative minds who are skillful with graphic design.  However, being a whiz with graphics isn’t the only talent you need to land your dream internship.  You have to learn how to sell yourself.  This website can be a valuable tool in discovering an internship with graphic design.

Investment-banking-internships.com
Internships with investment banks were long regarded as the sexy positions to get.  If you land one, you can find fortune and happiness with a little hard work.  While the hiring at many of these firms have frozen, it is not impossible to land an investment banking internship.  The only problem is, you’re going to have to convince these organizations that you’re worth taking on board.  In looking for tips on how to rise above the rest, take a look at this website for advice on investment banking internships.

Pr-internships.com
Public Relations internships are appealing, which makes them hard to get.  It certainly seems that every internship is harder to land these days, but it is especially such for PR firms.  Companies treasure their reputations and relationship with customers above all else.  If you expect them to trust you with the responsibility of safeguarding their image, you better prove yourself quickly.  This site can tell you the ins and outs of applying for PR internships in order to help you get ahead of the game.

Summer-internship-program.com
Summer internships can be a great opportunity to get your right foot in the door with a major company.  Unfortunately, many problems come along with the summer internship application process: increased competition, likelihood of it being unpaid, lack of usefulness, etc.  If you want to not only find that perfect summer internship, but really nail it and impress potential employers, utilize this website as best as you can.

PR Internship Strategy

PR for your PR internship matters. Hey, you like PR! Guess what? So does almost every other college student. You are not an engineering or computer science major, you have more competition. Let's face it, it is tougher to get a PR job. Therefore, one must do PR to get a PR job. Seems simple, but it's not.

PR students forget that a PR internship is all about PR. Likely, you will be doing real work and cultivating real relationships. This stuff matters, so your PR ability counts.Promoting yourself to get the job is the exact same thing that you will be doing at your PR internship! It is all about selling the story of yourself. Why is your story more interesting that other people's stories? Sell it.

And for goodness sake, don't come into a PR interview without real world examples on how you have promoted something. Go start and blog and promote it! Go open a shop on CafePress and promote it! My point is that real world examples, not just "I workd on some PR project" is exactly the type of thing that is going to lnd you and amazing PR internship. Go create something. There are some awesome PR internships, you just have to get out there and find them!

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For more internship information, go to internship cover letter, internship resume, and intern jobs. For specific resources, go to investment banking internships or marketing internships.

Interviewing for PR Internship

Interviewing for a Public Relations Internship is very important. So is writing a great internship cover letter. Also, don't write a bad internship cover letter.

When applying to a public relations firm, the interview is likely the most important step in the whole process.  An interview is all about selling yourself.  The whole point is to convey to the interviewer and company that you can provide great value to the organization.  In the event that an applicant fails to do this, the process ends there.  In applying for a public relations internship, if you can’t even present yourself in a favorable fashion, how can they possibly trust you to uphold the reputation of their company, as well as those of clients?

You need to enter an interview with a PR firm with the anticipation that you will be placed in a typical public relations situation.  Will you be able to provide a solution for a client that just suffered a class action lawsuit against the company?  In order to successfully present and sell yourself, you must be ready to fill the role that they will require of you if given the job.  Use a diverse vocabulary filled with key public relations terms to show you are already prepared to do your job.  Ask questions about their biggest clients and discuss what you thought was done well with these organizations from the PR firm’s standpoint.

One last thing to keep in mind is attire.  You obviously want to look your best for your interview; that is a given.  However, wear something you feel comfortable wearing.  People can always tell when someone feels uncomfortable, so keep that in mind.  With the right look, attitude, and of course talent, you could definitely find yourself working in a prestigious public relations internship.

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For more internship information, go to internship cover letter, internship resume, and intern jobs. For specific resources, go to investment banking internships or marketing internships.

Internship Cover Letters for Public Relations Internships

Internship Cover Letters for Public Relations Internships - this is vital stuff.

If you want an internship with a public relations firm, you’d better have some good writing skills.  A lot of work in PR involves writing up articles and testimonials about clients and creating as much good press as possible.  Even if your work isn’t going to be directly published as a resource about the firm, you’re going to have to convince someone that the organization is worthy of praise.  You’ll be sending a lot of emails, a lot of letters, and plenty of research papers.  It is for this reason that public relations firms are so concerned with cover letters they receive in the application process.

For many companies, cover letters submitted by internship applicants are just a formality.  They just want to know that their interns are literate and capable of writing a cohesive email.  In applying for internships with public relations firms, this is certainly not the case.  Some ask for multiple cover letters and in some cases lengthy papers will be requested of applicants.  Anyone reading this that plans to apply for a public relations internship in the future should keep this in mind when applying for positions.  Try to submit an interesting cover letter that will stand out from the others, but also be sure to provide a professionally written piece of writing.  Have people you trust read it and offer their advice.  Read as many examples as possible in order to utilize different writing styles.

Internship cover letters are vitally important.

Writing skills very frequently tie into a person’s overall capability of performing well in the workplace.  Even if this isn’t the case for you, this is the view that nearly all companies hold when considering individuals for a position.  If you hope to land an internship in public relations or marketing, you should definitely put a significant amount of effort into submitting an outstanding cover letter.

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For more internship information, go to internship cover letter, internship resume, and intern jobs. For specific resources, go to investment banking internships or marketing internships.

Just How Important are Public Relations Firms?

In recent years, we have seen the plights of many firms in the US.  Countless companies have fallen to corruption, poor accounting, lying to customers and stockholders, poor leadership, and so forth.  In a perfect world, every major corporation in the world would follow all the rules of business and run like a well oiled machine for forever and ever.  In our world, firms are just like ordinary people.  They make mistakes.  It doesn’t mean that they are evil; it just means that somewhere along the line, someone slipped up.  If the case is that a firm just made an honest mistake at some point, it is crucial for that company to find a good PR firm to cover it up and help maintain its reputation.

Public relations is in a lot of ways a race against time.  The first question is always “how can you beat the media to the punch?”  There is always someone watching when an organization slips up, and it’s never easy to keep that person quiet.  Doing a good job at a public relations internship can be as easy as reminiscing back to your childhood.  Remember when you used to make mistakes?  The first thing you’d think of is an effective means of making the situation look less serious than it was.  PR internships often involve putting the right spin on a situation to prevent a firm from going under.

Although companies are currently under constant scrutiny, firms are going to continue to mistakes.  As long as mistakes are made, PR firms will be right there to pick up the pieces.  Internships in public relations are among the most challenging available. If you’ve developed some great skills at covering up for yourself and others, it could be a perfect field for you. Looking for pr internships?

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For more internship information, go to internship cover letter, internship resume, and intern jobs. For specific resources, go to investment banking internships or marketing internships.

Public Relations Internships

Public Relations is no longer just about making a firm or individual look good in the newspapers.  It’s much, much more complicated than that now.  Firms have to worry about consumer ratings, news on the television, news on the internet, blogs, word of mouth, government agencies, and so forth.  In a PR internship, it is basically a war between the firm you work for and the infinite mediums of the media.  Each day is a battle to gain favorable press and uphold a sterling reputation.  It is much easier said than done since literally any individual can have tremendous impact.  It is important for firms involved in public relations to acknowledge that no one can be ignored in this day and age.  We live in a country where some no-name fat guy decides which celebrities will be liked and which will be hated.

Unfortunately for those of you heading into public relations, there are a hefty amount of internships out there that specialize solely in scoping the internet to find any bad press about firms.  Knowing what is being said about companies by the public is only half the struggle.  Moderating and mediating can take extensive effort and time, and often prove to be useless due to freedom of speech and the sheer volume of media available.

Of course, there are some excellent public relations internships being offered.  PR firms are vital to the business world, and will always be in high demand.  It is an excellent field to enter, and requires a lot of quick thinking and problem solving skills.  If you find a public relations internship that you think would be exciting, I suggest you do anything possible in order to stand out and land the position.  Unless you prefer to comb through endless search engine results to see what everyone thinks. Now, go find a public relations internship!

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For more internship information, go to internship cover letter, internship resume, and intern jobs. For specific resources, go to investment banking internships or marketing internships.