January marks the beginning of the internship process at Centennial College’s Corporate Communications and Public Relations program. Some students, me included, enroll in the program largely for the assisted field placement. So far, I am happy with the outlook of my internship possibilities.
At this point in the process, students make the decision between agency, government and non-profit. Some are very clear about their direction - others, not.
I have spent the past five months researching the nature of work in each sector. Intending to make the optimal career choice, I’ve tapped into many resources - textbooks, guest speakers, networking events, professors and the blogosphere.
At this point, I am confident to declare my interest in PR agencies - small, medium and large. I am still struggling to determine which of the three will provide the best kick-start for my career.
By no means is my career focus a decision to be taken lightly. However, am I over-estimating the impact it will have on my long-term success? Is it a make it or break it situation?
My intuition tells me the answer is a whopping no. However, I am still nervous to declare the direction of my career path. Unsure of the magnitude of possibilities, how can I be expected to make the best decision?
I guess I will have to resort to a different approach - the best decision for right now.
5 responses so far ↓
Connie Pappas // January 23, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I was definitely on the same page as you - worrying like heck about where I should do my internship - agency, not-for-profit, corporate, government…the list goes on. Also worrying about how my internship will affect the rest of my PR career. But I have come to the realization that it is not nearly as frightening a process as we are making it out to be.
I strongly feel that the internship experience will not make you or break you in terms of your career. Think of it this way:
- the internship is only TWO MONTHS out of what could be a 40+ year career
- the worst thing that could happen is that you realize don’t want to work in a specific sector or specific company
- you are young and new to the industry –> your internship employer knows this and is not going to ream you out for making mistakes as they are there to guide you and teach you
It’s all about gaining experience and knowledge within the field and learning about yourself and your goals at the same time.
So stop stressing about it! It will all fall into place
Kristen Zemlak // January 23, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Well put. Thanks for the comment, Connie.
Ed Lee // January 23, 2008 at 1:54 pm
i think the best thing about an internship is that it could help you realise what you don’t want to do.
Good luck figuring it all out - it’s an exciting time!
Brandon Carlos // January 25, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I have to agree with Ed. Far too many people in our program see the internship experience as a foot in the door. An agency may be the best place for somebody who is unsure of their future in the business, a time to sample from each plate.
There are two important things that you will walk away with at the end of the internship:
1) A new network of connections
2) An idea of your strengths and weaknesses in the field
Don’t forget about a second resource you will have throughout the process– your class mates! We stand to gain off eachothers internship experiences as well.
You’ll do great wherever you go.
Christine Smith // February 18, 2008 at 1:58 pm
We know that our program provides university grads with the first real chance to get their foot in the door in the real world of work.
(We’d also like to think the program engages students enough so they’ll want to get into the world of PR. That we have something valuable to offer, other than a Field Placement.)
I agree with Brandon. An eight-week placement with an organization is your chance to test yourself. It’s your chance to see if your ambition matches your skill set when put to the test of day-in-day-out, on-the-job rigors. It’s also the organization’s way of taking a chance on you.
An internship give you (as Brandon notes) contacts and experiences. Once you have those, you can take them somewhere else if you choose.
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