Practice makes perfect
Charzie and part of the energi team on National Ice Cream Day
Author: Charzie Abendanio
This summer I had the opportunity to intern at energi PR, a mid-size agency with offices in Toronto and Montreal. During my internship I was able to learn under professionals with extensive backgrounds in healthcare, travel and consumer public relations.
My experience at energi was not out of the ordinary from what other interns go through. I exercised practical and writing skills being taught in classrooms today, such as pitching to the media, blog writing and developing content for social media platforms.
The basic and most important attributes every student should have and develop, in my opinion, aren’t always tangible, new or revolutionary. They are basic concepts that need to be worked on daily with an opportunity to continuously improve them. Knowing your way around the areas I’ve listed below helped me accomplish the tasks and assignments given to me at my internship. Once my internship came to an end, I can say apart from the practical skills, I also learned many life skills which I will continue to use in school and in my future public relations career.
Charzie and the energi team at the Toronto Food Truck Alley on King
1. Practice your researching skills
I’ll be the first to admit my researching skills aren’t the greatest and I have a difficult time navigating the Internet to find the right information. I believe this is due to how much information is out there to filter through. One way to develop this skill is to research your own interests and hobbies, teaching you how to determine what good information is versus the most helpful.
2. Practice asking questions
In an ever changing industry like public relations you need to have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. If you are not asking questions you aren’t learning. In the summer I head the word “deck” almost every day and didn’t know what it meant. When I finally asked and learned it means a PowerPoint slideshow I realized there are many nuances in public relations I will come across in my career and may not understand them until I put aside my insecurities and pride to ask.
3. Practice your interpersonal skills
Three months may not be a long time but it is long enough to leave a lasting impression. When I first arrived at energi I wanted to get through the three months by doing my work and completing what was expected from me. I never realized I would work with people I continue to speak with to this day. The ability to listen and following direction, and work well in a team is a reflection of your personality. This leads me to my last and most important point.
4. Practice being you
The person who knows you the most is you! Being honest with yourself helps you become self-aware and contributes to your confidence. My second week I was asked to stand in front of everyone in the boardroom to discuss where I see myself in the industry and what I expected to take from my time at energi. I was so nervous but it gave me the ability to evaluate exactly what kind of PR practitioner I want to be while considering the steps I need to reach my goal.
Take a moment to evaluate yourself and discover your strengths and weaknesses. It can be a process but it allows you to explore who you are and helps direct you to where you want to be.
Charzie Abendanio is CPRS Toronto’s Vice President on the Student Steering Committee. She is a third year student in Humber’s Bachelor of Public Relations program. Find her on:
Twitter: @charziecastillo
LinkedIn
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