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Eye on the prize

A internship in PR world can lead to a fulfilling career.

John Hernandez, chief executive officer of PRfect Media, knows the value of a committed intern.

He knows because he’s been there – and done that.

As a senior broadcasting student at the University of Arizona, Hernandez interned at Tucson’s KVOA-TV, starting in the newsroom but making his way to television production.   

Today, his 14-year-old public relations firm with 15 full-time employees and $3 million annual gross income handles national accounts including the Hispanic advertising placement for Nissan North America, and advertising and recruitment for Corrections Corporation of America – one of the nation’s largest private prison systems.

Hernandez and Ron Meritt, PRfect Media’s chief operating officer, experienced successful college internships, so they’re now supporters of college interns in the agency workplace.

Of the six interns at PRfect Media in the past four years, three were hired as full-time employees.

Hernandez emphasizes to interns that hard work is a part of the process.

“When hiring an intern we’re looking for someone who sincerely wants to learn our business. Our interns don’t make coffee or answer phones; they get involved in client relations, writing press releases and attending meetings. We want to make sure they’re involved in the business as much as possible to give them the best education,” he says.

Shannon Pochert, a 2007 ASU Hugh Downs School of Human Communications graduate who started as an intern at PRfect Media and was later hired as a junior account executive, says the intern process requires dedication.

 “When I began my internship, I had no idea if this would be right for me or if I’d even be good at it. Luckily, I was surrounded by very talented people who helped me realize my own talents. It didn’t take long to see this was the right career path for me,” she says.

Pochert advises students considering internships to “give it your all and really commit to the experience.”

“Learn as much as you can, and in the end if it’s not right for you, you haven’t lost anything,” she says.

Melanie McBride, vice president of public relations for E.B. Lane, says that agency has two or three interns working every semester, including summer.

E.B. Lane is one of the Phoenix’s largest agencies. It handles accounts such as Wal-Mart and Ace Hardware, as well as public relations and advertising for the recent Super Bowl in Glendale.

Those interns that E.B. Lane selects are seniors in college and majoring in public relations, McBride says.

“We also try to get students who intend to stay in the Phoenix area,” she says. “In other words, we’re investing in them as a potential hire.”
McBride says the qualities that get a potential intern in the E.B. Lane door include being enthusiastic, good writers. goal-oriented, self-motivated, well-spoken, mature and having a professional appearance.

The E.B. Lane vice president says interns will need those tools, and more.

“We immediately throw our interns into the world of PR, where other places, we’ve heard, hire interns to simply do administrative and receptionist work. We have our interns take on a semester-long project, typically for a pro bono account. The pro bono client understands this up front, and they are always willing to help us with the teaching experience for our interns.

“We hold an exit interview where we offer the intern constructive criticism and praise, and also look at the interns’ portfolio, which we ask them to work on all semester. The portfolio of writing samples, proposals and media clips they’ve gathered while at E.B. Lane is invaluable in helping our interns land a great job,” she adds.  

A built-in benefit of interning is that the company you work for gets to know all about you.

“We definitely turn to our list of interns as the first ones we would want to hire,” says McBride. “We have hired three interns from the past two years of internships, and are soon to hire our fourth.”