By Daniel Henderson
I have spent this summer as an intern at the Council on Foreign Relations in the Council’s Washington External Affairs Program. CFR is a nonpartisan think tank, membership organization and publisher. It is the single most referenced and respected think tank on foreign policy issues in D.C.. Managing this reputation falls on the Washington External Affairs Program because the program’s function is to take the work of CFR’s experts, fellows and members and put it in the hands of policy makers.
 
My part in this has been helping to manage the planning and logistics of events, including tracking RSVPs, setting up before hand, creating rosters and formatting accompanying CFR material in a briefing packet. I also assisted with creating and tracking our electronic distributions to Congress. I spent the vast majority of time reading and editing documents prepared for the Hill, or for distribution at our events, in proper CFR style.
 
I have loved my experience at CFR, and as I look back over the years I believe I will come to see it as a transformative one. I have had the opportunity to connect with policy makers, ambassadors, national security experts and all-around brilliant and world-renowned scholars. I would not trade those moments for anything. This internship has also helped to clarify for me the expanding role of PR, not just as managers of a brand or crisis experts, but as constant contacts between an organization’s publics and the central mission of that organization. Without the work of external affairs experts at CFR, the work of our brilliant fellows would probably not have the effect that it does.
 
My advice to future interns is to be really, really, REALLY strong editors, since the quality of your work, and your boss’s reliance on you, hinges on it. Also, know something about the field you are interning. If you’re interning for an organization that works in politics or healthcare, having solid PR skills will only get you so far if you don’t understand at least a little about politics and healthcare. Finally, taking an internship in cities outside of Ohio can be hard, but that’s usually how you make connection with the leading experts in a field, so throw your hat in the ring and really try to intern in a great global city. 

By Abigail Winternitz
My time at Mercy Health has been one of the best – and one of the most useful – experiences of my life. I never imagined that I’d be able to work for the largest healthcare system in Ohio, and it has certainly helped to point me in the direction of my ideal career when I graduate. The people at Mercy Health don’t just have a job – they have a purpose. It’s been truly inspiring to be around people who are passionate about what they do. Mercy Health’s motto is “This Is What We Were Meant to Do,” and its employees take this message to heart.
 
The tasks I completed included helping update the Branding, Marketing and Communications page and the glossary of Mercy Health terms and nomenclature, media tracking and filtering, media release writing, sending and posting across channels, attending branding architecture interviews, assisting with social media post creation, photography and filming events, assisting with Weekly newsletter writing and editing, maintaining Constant Contact and attending Communications Team meetings.
 
I’ve learned so much from this internship – not only through the work I was completing, but through working in this kind of environment. If I was going to give advice to another intern, here’s what I would say:
 

• Manage your time well: In my internship, there were days when I had no new assignments, and there were days (more often than not) that I had way, WAY too many new assignments. To stay calm and not panic, I learned to prioritize my assignments and to map out my time accurately.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions: I learned that my fellow co-workers and supervisors really did want me to succeed – and the wanted their assignments done right! So, I got a lot better at asking for help if I didn’t understand something.
• Bring your AP Style Book: This was a life saver for me. I suppose those journalism classes did pay off after all.
• Own up to your mistakes: Unfortunately, in this type of job, it’s easy to make a mistake – whether it’s a typo in a press release, inaccurate information in research or a communications plan, or something else entirely. Most of the time, my work is looked over and approved before it gets sent out to the masses. However, sometimes things did slip through. When I made a mistake, I told my supervisor immediately. I learned that you want to get all mistakes cleared up as expeditiously as possible – even if it means suffering a little embarrassment.
• Enjoy your time as an intern: It went by way faster than I expected, so I would tell other interns to enjoy it while they can! Take some time to socialize with your co-workers and grab a cup of coffee -- It never hurts to make those connections.

By Hannah Wagner
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As I wrapped up my third semester as a public relations major, I struggled to find what area best fit me-- thinking I would never be able to work somewhere in the entertainment and promotion industry if I stayed in Ohio. Then I remembered a professor mentioning Allied Integrated Marketing to me, thinking it might help me find my passion in public relations. Once I learned about the work they did, I was set on interning there.
This past summer, I interned at Allied Integrated Marketing, an agency that helps promote movies in the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati markets, as well as a couple in New York. During my internship, I assisted with a Minion’s Costume Tour at the Cleveland Marathon to get fans excited about “Despicable Me 3”. I was also lucky enough to ride along on a press tour for the newest transformers movie, “Transformers: The Last Knight”, travelling from news stations like Fox 8 and WKYC to radio stations like Q104. More commonly, I assisted early movie screenings and wrote audience reports once they finished. Though there were many exciting events I was grateful to attend, most days I was in the office scheduling social media posts and researching and pitching promotional ideas to businesses in the targeted markets.
I learned how much hard work goes into producing theses major motion pictures, and how many people are working overtime to ensure its success. I never thought I would have an opportunity like this in Ohio, but I’m lucky I was able to at such an early stage in my career. I learned how to pitch in an effective and efficient way, conduct events in busy settings and target specific markets. Allied Integrated Marketing has given me a whole new perspective and passion for public relations.  The Cleveland branch has a dedicated group of admirable individuals who have treated me as a professional. I’m truly thankful for the experience and hope to continue my future career in a similar line of entertainment PR.
 
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in entertainment PR, you’re in luck! Allied Integrated Marketing is looking for a fall intern. To find out more, read below.
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Allied Integrated Marketing offers a unique college internship position in their Field Marketing division. Interns have the opportunity to see how marketing campaigns are developed and executed, and will learn about working in an agency environment with a focus on entertainment clients.
 
The College Intern Will:
∙         Participate in brainstorming alongside Allied’s team of Account Executives, getting a feel for the kinds of promotional and publicity stunts and events that clients prefer;
∙         Learn how to develop a pitch, and have a chance to use those skills to communicate with college media, student organizations, and local businesses;
∙         Ideate and organize local-level events promoting client projects, such as themed bar nights, campus scavenger hunts, or Greek system activities;
∙         Gain event management experience by attending and assisting Allied staff at evening screenings or events;
 
Qualifications:
∙         Must be at least 18 years of age upon internship start date;
∙         Must be a legal U.S. resident
∙         Must be enrolled as a full time student in a college or graduate school program
∙         Must be able to obtain course credit for this internship.
∙         Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
 
This is an unpaid internship position. You will not receive wages, health insurance benefits, retirement benefits, or company property in exchange for your participation. (We can however reimburse mileage for events.)
 
If interested, please submit a resume to Stephanie Vlk [email protected] and Brittany Sisko [email protected] for consideration.
ABOUT ALLIED INTEGRATED MARKETING
Allied Integrated Marketing is a full service integrated marketing firm focused on the entertainment industry and consumer brands, specializing in delivering targeted programs on a local, regional or national basis. The firm has 23 offices in the U.S. and Canada, making it the largest privately held company of its kind in North America. Allied has a management team of creative, advertising, publicity and promotions specialists with a great depth of knowledge and industry experience. Some of our current clients include 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, IFC, The Food Network, The Disney Store, Mattel, and W Hotels as well as the touring productions of Mamma Mia!, Wicked, Book of Mormon and Hamilton. www.alliedim.com
 
 

-- Hana Barkowitz

​My global communications internship at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company allowed me to gain experience in internal communications, social media, analytics, content creation and more. My day-to-day responsibilities included editing, writing and publishing content for the intranet, creating posts for the internal social media network, designing graphics to promote internal content and initiatives and supporting other functions as needed. This semester, I conducted research and drafted communications to help prepare for the launch of a new intranet site. I also created a social media plan for an upcoming corporate social responsibility initiative. I’ll be implementing it over the next couple months. Prior to this semester, I created a social media plan for a blimp christening and hosted the event live on Periscope. I’ve also covered events for the intranet and supported the annual United Way campaign.

This opportunity has helped me better understand the corporate culture and the importance of internal communication. I’ve experienced the months of planning meetings, strategic media pitching and crisis preparation that goes into putting on large events. This internship also emphasized the importance of knowing basic design principles and keeping up with digital trends.
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As an intern, and I’m sure in other roles in the public relations field, it’s important to have a wide skillset. The more you know, the more you’ll be able to help. Being adaptable and open to new challenges and opportunities helped me grow and standout at Goodyear. Everyone I met during the first few weeks of my internship encouraged me to jump into anything that sounded even remotely interesting to me. They were right. I volunteered, toured a Goodyear plant, visited the test track, played in a corn hole tournament and even flew on the blimp. Trust yourself, work hard and don’t be afraid to learn something new!

-- Elise Kogelnik, Senior Public Relations Major