I have been lucky enough to gain valuable work experience in the PR industry and in 2013 I was one of the winners of the 'Employability Challenge' at Birmingham City University.
Here's a few simple but realistic tips to getting the most out of your internship, but also being invaluable to your employers. No matter what job you undertake it will never be just what it says on the tin!
Say YES.
Because life starts at the end of your comfort zone. How do you know you can't do the task if you don't try? Will staying an extra 5 minutes really make that much difference to your whole day? Saying yes could lead to gaining a whole new set of skills or even just leave you in good stead to getting a call back when you finish your studies. Grad job sorted!
Say NO.
Okay so I lied, saying no is important at times. If you have no idea how to do something it is always better to be honest, than waste valuable time making a botch job of it! Employers will respect your honesty and may even give you extra help to learn how to do something new.
Stay Positive.
Staying positive when times are tough, when you are tired and when the pressure is on is when you will stand out of the crowd. Attitude is everything, it's not always the smartest people that get to the top, it is often the people that are willing to work hard but with a smile on their face!
ASK.
If you don't feel fulfilled in your job role and feel like you can take on a few extra challenges, offer to support another member of the team. This will make your CV look even better, but also show a hard working attitude.
Not sure how to do something? It is better to ask than to make a mistake and waste valuable time (go back to the part where I told you to say no) and your colleagues/employers will respect you for your honesty.
Make Friends.
Not only is it important to have friends that you can chill out (or party) with outside of work, and it is even better when they can understand your working hours, but make friends because you never know where they will end up in 5 years time! Making friends with the same career aspirations as you is great, you could end up as business partners.
Is your work experience PR? Building relationships with the media will mean that they will come to you with opportunities, and may even pull the odd favour!
Use Linkedin to connect with people and start with me!
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