4 tips to help your interns succeed

Each semester I mentor and manage a team of four public relations interns. Through trial and error, I’ve developed an internship program that enables students to get the most out of their experience while being sure they add value to our office.

Here are my tricks and tips to helping these fledgling PR pros earn their wings:

1. Alleviate first-day boredom.

I remember sitting at my desk alone for the first few hours with nothing to do at one of my internships. For the past three semesters, our interns have marveled at how we threw them in immediately—sink or swim.

On the first day, our interns go through an orientation. I review the basics, show them examples of the work they’ll be doing, and give them a full tour of the office. We also skim the internship guidelines, a 10-page document with almost all the information they need to get started. The document is updated each semester to pre-address issues I see with each batch of interns.

I also have three easy starter assignments for the interns on their first day:

2. Ensure growth through mentorship.