By Jenny Freebus
Senior, Ocean Lakes High School
With summer coming to an end, it’s time to wrap up the internship I was fortunate to land through Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
My time with Rubin Communications Group has been filled with memorable experiences and opportunities. Within the next week, I’ll be back at Ocean Lakes High School to start my senior year, and I know the skills I learned this summer will play a significant role in my work habits. Here’s a list of the top five skills I learned at RCG:
- Quick thinking is a must. Whether it’s brainstorming ideas at a staff meeting or searching for a quick fix in the field, thinking fast will serve you well. In the public relations world, everything tends to have a short turnaround time so there’s little time to waste.
- Maintaining a professional attitude is crucial when representing a business and talking to clients. It’s important to remain calm, cool and collected so as not to damage the reputation of the business you represent. A bad encounter now could jeopardize work in the future.
- Keep a positive mindset. When talking to current or potential clients, it’s essential to remain positive and practical because pleasing the client without setting their expectations to an unreasonable height is the biggest priority.
- The importance of research. Whether the task is to find background information on a potential client or local nonprofits in the area, doing research shows investment in your clients. It also helps you gain a better understanding of the work expected of you.
- Soft skills. The Hampton Roads community is large, but it’s also friendly. People are interested in how your day is going so having the skills to converse with clients and other professionals goes a long way. In the business community, it’s important to be personable because it opens the door for networking and forging new relationships with other business and community leaders.
Through the internship, I experienced the “real business world” for the first time and learned the difference between advertising and public relations. The PR world moves pretty fast, and the skills I gained will help me no matter what career I pursue.
I am grateful to everyone at Rubin Communications for their constant support and guidance.
