A blog about an internship?

A blog about an internship? It makes perfect sense! At the very least, I can provide personal insight that cannot be found on the company website. With professors constantly reminding us about the importance of gaining "real world" experience while still in school, internships have almost become a requirement for students around the country. When I began my internship search, I knew right away that if I was going to give up my previous summer job as a lifeguard it would have to be with an agency that could give me a great experience. I first heard about Liggett-Stashower Inc. at a career fair in Cleveland; the representatives stressed the importance of giving interns hands-on work with real clients and minimal copying and faxing—I came to find out they were not lying.
A typical day at Liggett as a public relations intern can be described in one simple word: busy. Since starting in May, I have done work for nearly every client that the PR department works with and have increased the size of my portfolio ten-fold. One of the most rewarding, but challenging parts of the program is the writing. I have gotten experience writing news releases, pitch letters, fact sheets, assembling media kits and mailings, pitching stories directly to the media, blogging and yes, some copying and faxing.
Beyond actual work, the best part of the day is interacting with the employees and other interns. It seems impossible, I know, but everyone is willing to help with anything I don’t understand and encourages me to get involved within other departments in the agency. Field trips, lunches and meetings about meetings have given me the chance to really get to know the people who work at Liggett, and as I learn the importance of networking I realize how valuable these relationships will become.
While the program wraps up I look forward to sharing more about the experience as a whole and I hope that you continue to follow along on our new intern blog!

Kelly M.