Six Lessons I Learned while Interning at a PR Agency

By Hanna Berry

Graduating from college and stepping into the working world can be daunting. After years of predictable routines – class schedules, club meetings and campus life – the shift to an office environment can feel like a giant leap. However, my experience as a Marketing and Public Relations Intern at Wireside Communications has been anything but intimidating.   

I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in December 2024 with a double major in marketing and journalism. A month later, I embarked on a new journey in Boston and started working as an Intern at Wireside Communications. Throughout this experience I learned six valuable lessons that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my public relations career.

Relationships Matter – With Everyone

One of the greatest benefits of my internship has been the tight-knit community at the agency. There are dozens of us across the United States and Europe. Despite not always working on the same teams or office space, I’ve fostered close relationships with each team member. Most importantly, I formed a close relationship with my manager by asking lots of work-related questions and connecting on a personal level about our dogs and families.

My advice? Make connections with all the members of your team despite all the differences you may believe you have. You have no idea what you will discover! Entering an internship at 22-years-old, surrounded by some professionals who have decades of experience, can be scary. But, I’d say, use this to your advantage! Everyone wants to see you succeed – you never know the types of friendships you will build and maintain throughout your life. I’ve chatted about baseball with a few of my office mates, and discussed similar sorority experiences with another.

Ask Every Question– No matter how small

As I said, everyone wants you to succeed, so use your connections as a resource. Truly, there are no stupid questions. I learned the most through this internship by asking every little question from how to respond to an email, to tactical grammar advice. Often, asking questions led to a deeper explanation that paid off later. (A lightbulb moment!)

By asking questions you can learn more about your team members’ different communication style preferences. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand. Curiosity is one of the most powerful tools you have as an intern.

Learn Your Platforms.

It is essential to explore every crevice of new platforms. By trying out all the functions, you understand everything the platform offers. I learned the most on Muck Rack and Qwoted simply by playing around with the interfaces. LinkedIn Learning is also a great resource for informational sessions on topics that matter to your clients and teammates most. Prior to joining an account team, I had minimal knowledge about quantum computing. A quick quantum computing LinkedIn Learning session helped me build a foundation of knowledge, which improved my news scans and overall awareness of the industry.

Understand your Clients Inside and Out

Success in PR starts with understanding your clients. Upon joining a new account, the best thing to do is research, research, research. Learn everything about the organization and the PR/marketing work they have done in the past. Muck Rack can provide information on previous industry coverage. By using LinkedIn and social media you can discover an organization’s tone and messaging. Read through the competitors’ website and media coverage to observe who is covering their content. You can learn the most about the industry and how to further serve your client by analyzing what others are doing and saying.

Be Proactive and Stay Informed

The world of PR moves quickly. Staying on top of the news is non-negotiable. There is always something to read or research! Be ahead of the game and be up on all the current discussions (on social media and in the news) about your client and their competitors. All industries move FAST. Generate daily boolean searches relative to the industry for daily scans. Clients love when you are ahead of the news game! By starting each day with a clear plan and a refreshed understanding of the media landscape, I feel prepared to tackle whatever comes my way, Make lists daily. Do your research. Refresh the news often.

Advocate for your Goals

Internships are the perfect time to explore your interests and grow your skills. During my time at Wireside, I expressed my desire to learn about social media, which led to a larger role on the internal marketing team. Through verbalizing my past experience and future goals, I communicated what I enjoy doing and skills I wanted to further develop. As a result, I was able to focus on turning my weaknesses into strengths and using them to benefit the clients and team.

The most important lesson I learned at Wireside was building relationships – whether it was on a team call, over email or What’s App or through news research to best engage with reporters. PR is about connection, and it starts with how you show up, ask questions and engage with others.