A true story: my first BIG mistake.

The following is a true story of the rollercoaster ride of one young woman's internship. All quotations are real and have not been edited in any way. In order to understand the story, please take note of the following vocabulary:

Save the Date \sāv thә dāt \ n. : a card sent out to a group of people announcing the future date of an event they will be invited to.


There I was, freshly reviewed. I had survived my first review as an intern. A review is simply a group of people who you have been working closely with provide feedback on your work. They provide positive feed back like:

" She catches on quickly in regards to the type of information she needs to gather while working on projects"

And also provide areas they feel in which you could improve:

"Work on attention to detail. Often misses little edits. This could be avoided if more time was spent with the document before it is passed through for review"

My review provided me with a sense of accomplishment while showing me what direction I should be headed in. Although "review" might make some people cringe (I did when I first learned of it) All it really is was an opportunity to better myself as a young, up-and-coming public relations professional.

So what did I do? I Tacked my mid-semester feedback up on the fabric covered wall of my cubicle, and got right back to work. I re-worked my plan. Although there was a lot of great feedback, my areas for improvement screamed that I needed to bring my"A-Game" to the table...internship table that is. So I set new goals, and reviewed the original ones.

So there I sit, freshly reviewed.

Completely focused, and ready to go-- and then what happens? In a matter of an hour, I come crashing down. For a short time, my confidence in my "A game" suffered from a few cuts and bruises.

In the days prior to my review, I had been working on a project, one with many steps. It even included a timeline! And you know a timeline means business.Things were moving smoothly-- The save the dates had gone to print, came back and sat in my cubicle, stamped and ready to go. I had placed save the dates in my colleagues' mailboxes, inviting them to a fundraising event.

And then someone brought it to my attention that the day was incorrect on the save the date.
Stop the press.
Unfortunately, the "press" had already printed, and there I sat with a 100 beautiful save the date cards, all with the wrong date. They had to be reprinted.

A large portion of my afternoon was spent using my fingernail to carefully lift stamps off of the card, and placing them on any semi-slick surface to save them. I could have cried. I sat and stared at each card, suprised each time the same wrong date appeared. After my initial shock, and the subsequent aftershock, I took a deep breath, and began again. I charted a plan of action: I had a few additional people check for errors in the new copy, explained the blunder to my client, apologized and moved forward.

Luckily, I learned a lot from the whole ordeal. I learned just how dead on my areas for improvement were, and I learned how to pick myself up off of the floor, and get on with me internship experience.

case in point:
1. You will make mistakes. No matter how much you wish you could go back and time and not make it, the mistake will still stare back at you, and taunt you with error ridden eyes.
2.It is your responsibility to not only rectify the situation, but hold yourself together while doing it.

I'm learning that a big part of pr is rolling with the punches. I've described pr as a living and breathing entity, and as with any other unstable creature, mistakes and changes are a part of the process. No matter what, I'm learning that insisting excellence is a process, and that it is definitely worth it.

Making friends with the media

A few weeks ago, my professor invited Greg Kowalski, the editor of the Birmingham Eccentric, to speak to our class about how to write a press release that will get read instead of end up in the trash.

In this industry, its important to establish credibility--It's paramount in public relations. With that said, I'll give you some background :

Greg Kowalski has 32 years of experience in journalism, mainly in newspapers as a writer and editor. Prior to his current position, he was also editor of the Hamtramck Citizen, the West Bloomfield Eccentric and the Southfield Eccentric. In addtion, he has edited magazines and written in various types of publications. Kowalski has also done public relations for a hospital corporation and did corporate communications for Blue Cross/Blue Shield as well as a variety of freelance clients.

One very helpful piece of information that he passed along was his tips for dealing with the media. As you know, I'm always happy to pass on things that might be helpful.

TIPS FOR DEALING WITH THE MEDIA

• Be direct. Prepare a no-nonsense press release with the specifics clearly stated.
• Mind the basics: Misspellings, bad grammar, wrong names, incomplete information, will get your release tossed into the trash. Accuracy is essential. Newspapers hate to make corrections, especially when they are the result of incorrect information provided to them.
• Make sure the contact number is clearly stated at the top. Be sure to distinguish if the contact number is for media only and there is a separate contact number to be listed for readers/listeners/viewers.
• Send your release in a timely manner. Different organizations have different requirements. If you are sending an announcement, most places want it about two weeks in advance. Any earlier and it might be forgotten; any later and you might miss the deadline. It is best to call in advance when possible and ask about deadlines.
• Try to direct the release to a specific person and make sure its the right person. Sending an announcement of an art gallery opening to the auto editor isn't going to be productive.
• In most cases, e-mailed releases are acceptable.
• It's acceptable to call after a release has been sent to see if it has been received and if there is any interest in it. BUT-- Try to learn the deadlines of your regular contacts and DO NOT CALL when the person is on deadline. DO NOT CALL EVERY DAY. Call twice or even three times, but space the calls. E-mailed inquiries are less obtrusive, and recommended.
• Be professional. Rudeness and badgering will not be tolerated.
• If possible, try to establish a relationship with your contacts to build a sense of trust and familiarity--essentially create rapport.

Top 10 reasons continued

I've returned with the top three things that I've learned during my time so far at Eisbrenner...
drumroll....

3. Know Yourself

If you've ever read any how to study book while in highschool or college (or late in elementary if you were a supernerd like me) there's always a chapter on what time to study. The authors of those books usually suggest that you find your the time when you are most alert, coherent and focused might be the single most important aspect or organizing your work life. Intern of full-time employee, its best to learn early when you are most productive. For me, its from morning to early afternoon. This is the time when I can focus in and get to cracking on the majority of my work, this is also the time when I have my best ideas. Point blank, from 8am to 2, I am my most inspired self. Because I know this, I plan to do my hardest most involved work first thing in the morning rather than right after I hit that mid-afternoon slump. For that slump, I am well prepared, this is the time when I do things that are easier (filing, sorting...Things like that) . The point is to know your best time to work and utilize it. As for times when you might be slightly less sharp, prepare for those too. If you don't, they'll smack you when you aren't looking.

2. And then don't take yourself too seriously

In a new environment, you are bound to be nervous. However, you got past the interview, so there's gotta be something good about you right? Take that into consideration when you are beating yourself up. Take a deep breath and remember this is a learning experience. An internship is a careful balance of being ambitious and taking your work seriously, and remembering not to take yourself too seriously. Have faith in the work you can do, set goals and work hard to achieve those goals. You'll be on your way in no time. With that said, remember that an internship provides much less value if you don't have goals. So set them.


1.
Public Relations is a living, breathing and sometimes unstable creature.

My favorite quote suprisingly relates to PR:
"That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet" - Emily Dickinson
It definitely relates to the world of public relations. The fact that it is never the same is probably why I am so in love with this profession. The markets, our society's interests and the newness of it all are things that contribute to the constant movement of our industry. It helps to remember this when things go wrong or not as you planned. Things will always change, it is your job as a pr professional to be prepared. An opportunity might never come again, or it might be a link to your future, either way make sure that you give it all you've got.

what's up next?? Tips for dealing with the media from Birmingham Eccentric Editor Greg Kowalski.