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| Alison Hamer and Lindsey Lucenta |
For the last year or so, I’ve served as LCWA’s internship
coordinator. My job is to seek
applicants, review resumes, run interviews and ultimately serve as a mentor for
the selected intern. Since I began my
tenure at LCWA as an intern, I love that my career has come full circle, and
now I can help others learn. I recently checked in with our current intern,
Lindsey Lucenta, to ask her perspective on what it’s like to be an LCWA intern.
[Alison Hamer:] So, how is your internship going? What is
your favorite part?
[Lindsey Lucenta:] It’s going great! I
appreciate that I’m given challenging work and really feel a part of the LCWA
team. I most enjoy picking up the phone to pitch media about the great things our
clients are doing. While it’s time-intensive and difficult to engage
journalists, the hard work pays off when you see the published story.
[AH:] The internship checklist we use is meant to give you
a wide range of experiences – do you feel that it has helped you?
[LL:] My time at LCWA has provided a
solid foundation upon which to build a career in public relations. When I
started, I was allowed to hit the ground running, quickly gaining experience in
the many facets of agency PR. As an intern, you aren’t just building media
lists – you have the opportunity to write news releases, pitch journalists,
engage clients’ social media, conduct research, participate in strategy
development and more.
[AH:] What's surprised you most about agency life?
[LL:] A perfectly planned-out day can
take a completely different turn if something else comes up that requires
immediate attention. I always make a to-do list but, sometimes, that list goes
out the window because an unexpected interview opportunity arises or we need to
help a client quickly respond to a news story. When that happens, I have to
reprioritize my tasks. During my internship, I’ve had to improve my time
management skills and learn to be more flexible.
[AH:] As an intern, what skill do you call upon most?
[LL:] It’s difficult to name just one
skill to describe a typical day’s work. My communications skills – writing,
listening or speaking – are applied in everything I do. Writing is a must-have
skill for many tasks, from drafting media materials to sending emails that grab
journalists’ attention. It’s important to always be an active listener to
guarantee that I don’t miss any details and fully understand assignments. When
it comes time to pitch stories over the phone, I have to be able to get my
message across quickly and effectively.
[AH:] How often do you use social media in your day-to-day
job and why is it important?
[LL:] I use social media nearly every
day both on behalf of clients, as well as personally. Social media competence is
important because everyone is using it and it offers opportunities to create
meaningful, mutually-beneficial relationships. Clients need social media to
help build strong, reputable brands and I need it to network and leverage
relationships with editors and bloggers to colleagues and others in the PR
industry.
[AH:] What is your best advice to someone looking to become
an intern at LCWA?
[LL:] Take good notes! Always have a
notebook and write down everything. During meetings or even informal
conversations, you’ll get a lot of information and instruction, so having those
notes will help you walk through the steps on your own. Also, when in doubt,
ask questions. It’s best to clearly understand what’s expected of you the first
time around so that you’re more time efficient and helpful.
