How to Use PRSSA Member Benefits to Land an Internship
For many young public relations professionals, completing an internship is a valuable way to gain real-world experience and put the skills you’ve developed in the classroom into practice. With prominent agencies and organizations in your city, it may seem like the opportunities are endless, but this often hinders students from knowing where to begin the search. The good news is that PRSSA members are provided with a number of benefits to help them find their dream internships. The key is knowing where to look. Here are a few places members can start:
Internship Center
An exclusive benefit of PRSSA membership, the Internship Center provides the opportunity to upload your resume and find the most recent internship postings tailored specifically to your interests. Always wanted to spend your summer interning in a new city? Positions are posted from employers across country, providing opportunities you may never have heard of otherwise.
Champions for PRSSA
Did you know there is a whole network of professionals dedicated to supporting PRSSA members and their education? Champions for PRSSA is a directory of practitioners, educators, companies, agencies, PRSA Chapters and other organizations that is right at your fingertips as a PRSSA member. Although this list could seem intimidating at first, start small by reaching out to a few people in the segments of public relations that interest you. You never know what internship doors could be opened by simply asking for help from those who are more than willing to give it.
Social Media
Participating in #PRSSA Twitter chats or reaching out to professionals through social media is a great way to build connections and begin to get a feel for the types of internships available and the skills needed to succeed in them. PRSSA hosts a Twitter chat each month with a variety of topics related to your success in the industry. Also be sure to engage with your local Chapter’s social media platforms, since most Chapters post links to local internship opportunities.
PRSA Sponsor Chapter
Getting connected with your sponsor Chapter is a great way to meet local professionals and gain valuable advice or hear about internship opportunities that might not be posted online. In addition to attending meetings and events, there are other ways to learn about internship opportunities. Invite a PRSA member from your sponsor Chapter who works at a company or organization looking for interns to speak at a PRSSA meeting. West Michigan PRSA holds a Mentor Hub Mixer that matches students and professionals to create beneficial relationships and guidance every year.
PRSSA membership offers students countless benefits, connections and opportunities. Before getting frustrated with your internship search after Google doesn’t return valuable results, consider utilizing the resources right in front of you.
What other ways has being a PRSSA member helped you find an internship? Let us know in the comments.
Jessica Hines, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) PRSSA vice president of public relations, is a senior with majors in public relations and health communications. Her past internships include Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, MapleCreek Senior Living, and Grand Valley News and Information. Upon graduation, she hopes to put her skills to use in health care public relations. Find her on Twitter @JessicaHines3.
