an intern's experience

No matter how much you study in college, nothing can prepare you for the world of PR as a hands on internship can. We always say you either have the gift or you don’t when it comes to PR, no amount of schooling can teach it. Being a successful PR practitioner has a lot to do with the person you are, and the nerve you possess. We asked one of our former interns who definitely “had it” to write a brief blog about her experience to share below. Hannah Crew was certainly one of our finest, and we're proud to be sending her off to begin her new career at StrategyOne with Edelman. Below is what she had to say about her experience as an intern.

I started my internship at Ripple without knowing much about the world of public relations. However, after only three short months there I exited knowing more than I could have learned after any accumulation of college courses.

My first day at Ripple in Highland Park consisted of media calls for one of our clients. After writing a lot of notes and a quick practice call in the morning, I flew through a database of phone numbers and emails of reporters all over the United States pitching our client.

Over the next few weeks I was asked to write press releases for some of our major clients. While writing I learned how to attack a press release and how to write a pitch that would grab the attention of reporters. I learned how to approach media professionals and gain their attention for your client.

Not only was I responsible for media calls and written releases and pitches, I was able to build relationships with our clients and media professionals. One of my favorite weekends during the summer included going to the Taste of Chicago to supervise a live recording of one of our clients, Chef Greg Christian, by ABC 7 that I had booked the previous week.

My experience at Ripple provided the real world experience that put me ahead of many students interested in public relations. I left my internship with a portfolio full of experience and a strong confidence in the field.

For any aspiring PR professional, apply for internships and work hard…it pays off!