Behind-The-Scenes: The Life of a Summer Intern
A Guest Post Announcement by Brendan Smith, Student, West Chester University – College of Business
With the new school year fast approaching, interns are beginning to reflect on their experiences this summer. As a summer intern at Atlantic Health, I have gained a great deal of knowledge that I believe will be useful to me at college, and ultimately, throughout life. As a student, I’m frequently asked what I plan to do with my life. Until last summer, I thought being a financial analyst was always going to be my career. My vision of success was to be involved in the finance industry, in New York City. However, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to have multiple internships that will truly help me decide what I want to do with my career.
Please join the #PRStudChat community on August 16, at 8:30 P.M., ET, for “behind-the-scenes” look at the life of a summer intern. Anthony DeFrancesco, Samantha Poulis and I will go over the importance of seeking an internship and what we’ve learned so far. We will also talk about what future interns can expect and what they should be prepared for.
Here are some of the questions and topics that we will answer and discuss:
Q1. Why did you apply for your current internship role?
Q2: How did you prepare for the internship?
Q3. Was there a specific college course that you took that helped you decide on a career interest?
Q4. What are some extracurricular activities that have helped shape your career goals?
Q5. What advice would you give to current students interested in a PR career?
Q6. What were you surprised to learn so far in your internship?
Q7. What qualities do you think are important to have for a successful career in PR?
Q8. What did you struggle with the most this summer?
Q9. What is your dream job?
Q10. What are your plans after college?
About Brendan Smith – @brendansmith57
Brendan Smith is currently studying marketing at West Chester University – College of Business & Public Management. Brendan graduated from Saint Peter’s Preparatory high school in 2014 and plans to graduate West Chester University in 2018. Brendan is currently the assistant captain of the West Chester D2 hockey team and a member of the stock market/finance club. He is currently an intern at Atlantic Health Systems within the Public Relations and Marketing department. His previous job experience includes an internship at Oxford University Press as a financial analyst and auditor.
About Anthony DeFrancesco – @AfernyD
Anthony DeFrancesco is going into his senior year at Rutgers Business School. He is majoring in Marketing and plans to graduate in Spring 2018. He has already received his Associates in Applied Science from County College of Morris and received a Certificate in Small Business Management. His interest in Marketing and PR began in high school in his first marketing class. He is now working at Atlantic Health System as a Marketing and PR intern.
About Samantha Poulis – @samanthapoulis
Samantha Poulis recently graduated Cum Laude from Montclair State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Media Studies with a concentration in Health Communication, as well as a minor in Public Health. Her interest is in using communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions to enhance their health. She is now working at Atlantic Health System as a Digital Marketing intern.
More About PRStudChat
It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow-up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals … A community where everyone can learn and grow together.