Yesterday evening, the Intern Queen hosted a conference call with Versa Manos, President of GORGEOUS PR in Los Angeles. Only 5 potential interns in the U.S. (first come, first serve basis) were able to talk to her and get some questions answered about herself and interning in general. I really learned a lot from this, and I wanted to share it with you guys.
About Gorgeous PR's Internships/Jobs: She said: It takes effort to teach someone. We like them to get started on basic things like checking blogs and getting more info for our databases. After a couple of weeks, we'll give you tasks like writing press releases and making phone calls to whomever. We want you to be committed. We're going to teach you really well. We're interested in you if you're good and your credentials are good and you have experience with a PR company. But even if you're brand new and you're really willing to work and learn.
How to make your resume and cover letter stick out: She said: If you're going to be in PR, find a story. Don't send a standard resume and cover letter. Make a difference by speaking to the person you're writing to like you would in a normal conversation. Don't talk to them like they're nobody. Talk to them specifically. Also, express your interests. Do you like film? Music? Fashion? Tell them you have a love for something and maybe the last thing that intrigued you about that, like a fashion show or a film festival or a play you just seen. I hired a girl immediately because she said "I just want to get my foot in the door. I don't care if I have to make coffee all day. I know I have to start from the ground up." Give the person you want to work for some idea of who you are. They don't want the same cover letter that has been sent to everybody. Make an effort. PR is all about finding a story in something and making an effort.
If you're about to graduate: She said: Before you do anything: Be sure you're making really good decisions and choices in the decision you're going. Start small then go big. Do 2 or 3 different internships and be sure to tell people what you've learned along the way. Talk about your strengths. You can say "I want to do fashion, I'm a fashion intern and I'm looking to progress into a job" and they'll say "Well why are you a good part of our team?" and make sure you have a great answer for that!! Show people why you want to commit to that company.
Her last words: She said, if you show you're interested, then be interested. Do the work in your internship and ask sensible questions; not something you can find in a Google search. Asking questions is a big plus. Also, when an intern talks about what a company can do for them, it is a big negative. Show what you're willing to do for the company. Everybody says they are a great candidate. People who get the job do the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Who are you? What do you do? When do you want to do it? Where are you from? Why are you interested? How are you going to to this? What inspires you?! She also said that a million things go into exposure, which is what his personal clients want, and you need to know what you are talking about. It is a good way to connect to anybody on every level.
Versa really helped me out a lot with my big search for internships this summer. Hopefully this information will not only just help PR majors, but anybody seeking internships. Good luck on your search!
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