8 weeks and Counting

My internships have been very enjoyable. I have had to go beyond and really come out of my comfort zone in order to produce the work needed. I am doing a combination of three internships. I work with Pink Alliance, which a PR firm that Savina Billups my classmate has started. I also intern at 90.5 on the Love Lounge show, and lastly I am the Florida A&M liaison for Aaron Arnold an alum of Journalism school. I typically work every day. Tuesday and Thursday I am at 90.5 planning out the show and helping with production. I probably work anywhere from 2-3 hours every day trying to get a deadline met.
I am enjoying my internship. I am very fascinated by the entertainment industry, having these internships allows me the opportunity to experience that world. This week I accomplished a project for Aaron Arnold. He wanted to participate in our “Grads Are Back” Colloquium during Homecoming. Aaron is a great speaker he is also a recipient of the 40 under 40 awards. I emailed Professor Ritchie and lobbied on behalf of Mr. Arnold. The end result was Professor Ritchie contacting him to be a part of the panel. The only thing I would probably try to change about my internships is the chance to do more writing. I know that as a PR practitioner we have to constantly write, I wish that I could get more experience in that area.
I have gained a client for Pink Alliance. That was one of my original goals when I became an intern for the company. I have brought on Aaron Arnold and I am also in the works of trying to plan a press junket for student media at FAMU, for the 40 under 40 awards. I think that I am meeting my initial goals that I set out to do with all of my many projects. I really am thankful for the opportunity that I have with all the projects because like I said previously it is really giving me the opportunity to do some kind of work in the industry that I’m interested in.

Ron Sachs' Presentation

I found Mr. Sachs’ presentation to be thought provoking and an inspiration for all. He not only touched on our professional life he dove into the overall life of a graduating senior. My first impression of him was that he was a very thorough man. He knew his stuff and was great at capturing his audience and holding on to their attention. One of his key points that really stuck out to me was his Ron’s Rules. He told us to 1. Respect ourselves, 2. Utilize Our Tools and, 3. Maintain Integrity. Although his tools seemed basic, they were relevant to the future of all of us in class.
I wanted Mr. Sachs’ to talk more about what services they offer at his company. When I reviewed his website I was interested in the client list that they had and the innovative ideas that they came up with. His overall presentation was amazing I think if we had more time to ask him questions it would have made the experience better. However, Mr. Sachs managed his time very well and I was also intrigued by his public speaking skills. He was able to communicate to us on a father, friend, mentor level all at once.
Mr. Sachs’ gave us a plethora of skills we should maintain in the working world. One that I really liked was when he told us not to be clock watchers. He said that a person that comes in right on time and leaves right on time is not impressive. Punctuality was something that he continuously talked about. I do believe that my generation does not pay attention to time because we simply don’t care but that is something that can set us apart and give us that leg up within the company. I am applying this to my internship when it comes to deadlines. I know that by doing this it will make me stand out and it shows that I have initiative and that I want to make myself known.