Let’s take a trip down memory lane …

Early on in my career, I made it my business to seek advice from anyone above me in my organization who was willing to give me any insight.  My approach was to ask for a short meeting with any executive who was on his/her way out the door.  My thinking was that on the way out, there would be no need for them to censor their advice, so I’d get the best they had to offer.  And it worked.

One Executive Vice President at Hill and Knowlton told me I’d be better off going to the client side eventually, and that I should stay in the agency world for about another 3-5 years to get the proper skills before moving over.  Another told me to specialize, that the days of generalist PR were coming to an end, so I’d have to choose a specialty if I wanted to be valued.

Both of those, and many others, turned out to be fantastic advice.

But the above news item triggered a memory of another piece of advice I received during one of those “exit interviews.”

I was speaking to the person who – even until today – was the best media relations professional I ever encountered.  I won’t give you her name, but I will share her advice:

She said, “You have to devour as much media content as possible.  It will help you understand trends, to which you can connect your client stories.  It will help you become more creative.  It will help you understand what makes it into the magazines versus not.  And, don’t forget, you will see opportunities for your clients, if you understand what the reporters are looking for.  You can frame stories much better if you have a context of what the reporter has covered in the past.

Let me tell you … she was right.

It is mind-boggling how many times I have picked up a magazine and seen opportunities for my clients.  And it builds upon itself.  The more you look, the more you are sensitized to seeing those opportunities.

And so, in light of this CNN report, which showed that many people are relying on others for their news, I strongly suggest that we all work hard to be among those who devour media content, rather than expecting others to spoon-feed it to us.

Upon the start of my internship at Ruder Finn Israel I did not have a lot of experience in public relations. In some capacity I knew that I would be working towards improving the image of clients, which in this office ranges from high tech startups, to publicly traded companies, to non-profit organizations that operate both in and out of Israel. However, I was unsure of what exactly an intern in the PR industry would be responsible for on a daily basis.

I am now almost nine weeks into my internship and can honestly say that I have learned a great deal about the industry itself and I now have a more concrete understanding of what the job description is for one who works in public relations.

Among the many things that I have learned over the last two months, the most important for me are the general knowledge that I now have about the field, as well as the tools that I have gained that will enable me to perform better when working in the industry.

On a basic level, I understand that Ruder Finn is responsible for the writing of news releases and bylined articles, the composition of media lists and constant awareness to find opportunities that will help clients to flourish and gain worthwhile mention. But more specifically, the staff at Ruder Finn Israel has showed me that teamwork, creativity and determination are just as important as knowing how to find an editorial calendar on a publication’s website.

In a recent brainstorming session at Ruder Finn Israel, the team discussed creative and fun ways to physically deliver a press release that would be a far step from the ordinary route. Experiences like these make me really appreciate my internship and think about the understanding that I’ve gained as I begin to contemplate the next steps in my life after my upcoming college graduation.

When I ask myself whether it’s time to seriously consider a career in public relations, I think about the brainstorming sessions that I’ve attended, the writing I’ve done, and the amazing and innovative companies that I’ve had the opportunity to represent.  I love that I go to work each and every day knowing that I’ll be doing something different from the day before and I love that the needs of each client vary greatly. This allows me to use the different strengths that I have and to cater to the various client expectations to the best of my ability.

But my favorite aspect about working in public relations is knowing that I can make a difference. As an intern, I conduct lots of research and do other tasks that serve as the basis for much larger projects. Although I am not speaking with company representatives one-on-one, I know that the results I achieve make a strong impact and help to meet the needs of the clients.

The internship program at Ruder Finn Israel has provided me with a strong foundation for what might likely be the start of a career in public relations. I now have confidence in myself that I can work successfully in a PR firm and be a strong asset to a hardworking team. However, just as a house is not complete after the foundation is laid, there is still much more for me to learn and experience.

I look forward to continuing this path of learning and exploration and will not forget what I learned during my nine-week internship at Ruder Finn Israel.