Diary of a PR Intern in New York City – Week 4
Editor’s Note: The following is Part 3 of Sarah’s series on her experiences interning for a PR firm in (you guessed it) New York City for the summer. In case you missed the first parts, see: Diary of a PR Intern in NYC – Week One, and Diary of a PR Intern in NYC – Weeks Two and Three.
So my first month as an intern at a PR firm in NYC has come to an end! I missed work on Friday to attend a conference for my sorority in Georgia, so this week really flew!
Responding to Your Comments
After reading some of the comments on my last post, I’d like to make a few quick points before I get to what I did this week:
- My outfits are more conservative because not every sidewalk is a runway for me right now! My job has a dress code that isn’t too “stylish,” although I do my best to spice up my outfits (and I get complimented on them, too!). Now that I’ve finished my first month, I’m starting to incorporate a little more flair into my looks, as you’ll see below, because I know exactly what will work and what will, well, put me out of work!
- On that note, I do have to agree with one of the comments I received: when you’re working for a non-fashion company (i.e. an office job) that could help you in the future, it’s not the time to experiment with your style. Stick to dressing the way you’re expected to, and add touches that are still you, but aren’t going to call attention to you in a negative light!
- Unfortunately, sometimes you are asked to dress a specific way for specific jobs. As I stated in the post, the reason for last week’s all-black outfit was because I was asked to wear all black and to dress comfortably over fashionably for the event. Leggings are one of my favorite pieces, even if some say they’re out of style or not classy enough to wear to a work event. (BTW, no one minded that I wore them to the event, and many girls were dressed similarly.) I choose the outfits I choose because they flatter me and make me feel great! The best part of style is the fact that each individual has their own, and while everyone is entitled to their opinions (keep them coming!), at the end of the day, you should wear what makes you happy, not anyone else!
- About the lack of shoes in the outfits from my last post – in my rush to get the post done, I completely forgot to include them! (This internship is taking a lot out of me!) Rest assured: I definitely wasn’t going barefoot to work! (Although, by the end of the day, my shoes do tend to be slipped off under my desk due to the amount of pain my feet are in…)
Now that I’ve put all of that out there…
What I Did During Week 4
Although my first three weeks were extremely exciting, and my 4th week was still great, but there were no big events or perks to brag about! That said, I’ve been weighing the good and bad points of having this internship, and thought I would share them with you:
Pros:
- Did I mention it is insanely cool to be able to e-mail blogs I read on a regular basis pitching products? And do you know what’s even cooler? Hearing responses back and communicating with them first-hand, and not through a comment box on a post!
- Not only did I hear back from the coolest girls in the beauty and fashion blogosphere, I got to send them products they requested so that they could sample them! Beauty bloggers tend to call this “beauty swag.” I can’t wait to read the blog posts they write!
- Oh, and did I also mention that I’ve gotten to try a facial mask, bronzer, and two lipsticks… and keep them!? Another big job perk.
- I’m in the midst of writing my first press release for a new product the company I’m working with will be releasing this fall. Formatting, re-wording, organizing, the whole sha-bang: it’s mine!
- Constructive criticism. It’s so great to hear what your superiors have to say about your work, whether it’s good or bad! For me, hearing criticism from a loved one is sometimes harder than hearing it from someone I’m not attached to. In this case, the criticism is helping me get better at my job.
- My suggestions (that’s right, me, the little 19 year old intern) were used! Although I’m not running the firm yet, my little suggestions have made a difference in the presentations of our pitches and press releases! I’ve learned it is important to speak up! This shows you’re taking initiative and are interested in what you’re doing, and not just taking orders like a robot! Worst case scenario: your ideas are politely rejected. No biggie.
Cons:
- Inventory. It’s definitely fun to pull out the products to send to celebs, makeup artists, magazines, and bloggers, but counting an entire closet’s worth is definitely not, especially when you’re a klutz like me and find yourself tripping and dropping 30 lipsticks everywhere…
- I still miss my train every day. Sigh.
- Although I do have an hour lunch break, I normally feel bad for having a long to-do list and taking the full hour to leave. Although I don’t mind ordering food in from all over Manhattan (new fav: Oxford Cafe), it would be nice to see the light of day between 9am and 6pm sometimes!
- My social life is pretty much nonexistent. After a 6:30am – 7:40pm day, I can hardly make it from my train to my car, much less out with my friends. Weekends are often either crammed with plans to get things done, or reserved for sleeping late and long naps. If my friends are reading this: Hi friends! I miss you!
- Sometimes, I am jealous of my friends who aren’t interning. Sure, my resume is going to be jam packed and I’m going to be able to talk about the unreal experiences I’ve had, but sometimes, knowing I could be on a beach instead of in an office on an 85 degree day is just… depressing.
What I Wore to My Internship This Week
This week, I began adding more color to my wardrobe since it’s clear summer is totally upon us! (And I included shoes this time!)
Blazer – 7 Trends, Dress – Forever21, Shoes – Forever21
Pants – Far Fetch, Shoes – Michael Kors, Blazer – Ann Taylor, Camisole – Debenhams
Dress – Forever 21, Shoes – 3 Suisses
Overall, I still love my internship!
I’m always so busy, and each day has flown by so fast, but I’m loving the experience. I know everyone has been wanting to hear more negatives about this internship, but besides the lack of sleep and lack of social life, I could not be happier! It’s going to be a huge boost on my resume and has been an amazing way to meet people who are interested in this field. I’m already SO glad I decided to do it and can’t wait for the weeks ahead!
What do you think?
How far into your internship are you? Are you enjoying it? What is your staple wardrobe piece for your job (as you can see, mine was a white blazer this week!)? Let me know in a comment!
Posted on on June 29, 2010 / Filed Under: College Life / Tags: Beauty, diary of an intern, Featured, How To, intern, interns, Internship, Jobs, New York City, Outfits, PR, Summer
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Amber
Lovin’ the 2nd outfit! Very nice!
Staley Mc
I love reading this series! I am contemplating PR and I love reading about your internship!
Kathy
i love the dress its so pretty :)
ManicPixieDreamGirl
I like the outfits, but I don’t think I could ever get away with those pants in outfit two! I was just wondering, how do you put these outfits together online? This budding blogger wants to know!
nicole
i am loving all of these outfits. I am currently trying to find a job in PR at the moment in Philadelphia. Seems like all the places are in NYC!
Good luck!
-Nicole
nicolexoo.blogspot.com
Victoria
LOVE reading this! I’m starting a PR internship next week in Chicago, and this series has been so helpful! Thanks :)
Lalalina
I am just curious about what the dress code is for you internship. I assumed that PR was almost like working in fashion, in terms of being able to wear more fashionable pieces. I would love to learn how they are expecting you to dress.
ManicPixieDreamGirl
Love the dress in outfit one! Speaking of outfits, how do you make them like that? On polyvore? This budding blogger wants to know!
ManicPixieDreamGirl
Whoops, kinda double post.
Grim Lily
Your outfits look absolutely great! I am interning too this summer – do you have any suggestion for a high school teacher to be?
Good luck and take care.
Kenzie
Eeek! The 3rd outfit’s dress is ADORABLE! (:
Looks comfy, too. d:
And lovin’ the 2nd outfit’s shoes.
Allie
I LOVE your outfits! I see you commute and still manage to wear those KILLER shoes! Question from one PR intern who commutes to and from NYC to another. Does wearing shoes like that suck a lot? I got some KILLER shoes and have almost worn them to work 349574 times and then chicken out and stick some flats or kitten heels on! How do you deal?
Jess
I love reading this! I’m also a 19yr old intern in nyc. But I don’t get paid, and I was wondering if you do, and how much? Cause your clothes are not exactly cheap.
amy
i love your posts and your outfits!
Renee
Love the outfits!
Gracey
Such cute outfits!
I love reading about your internship, it’s so interesting :)
Jen
But it is nice to be busy and feel productive! Though I admit you do work pretty crazy hours. I love your outfits by the way!
Milana
Love your outfits this week. That first dress is gorgeous!
Pam
your first outfits is super duper gorgeous! Love it!
sunny
so cute outfit. i love reading your articles.
Marisa
Nice to see more working girl outfits on a regular basis! I had a job interview today and it was very helpfull. Thanks!
Devann
Hello!
I am a newcomer aspiring to work in the public relations fashion industry. Where do you intern? and what is the best advice you could give me?
Thank you!!
Devann
Max
This was nice post on Pr internship . This will help me.
Good post.
Re
Yay! You included footwear and the cons! I though this article was great before but now I’m convinced this is the best.
I love every outfit listed here. Each one is fun, flirty, and stylish and I could still see anyone wearing it to the office. I like the shoes in each outfit and the white on white into second. And the white blazer is genius! Moreover, I can’t get enough of the their outfit; it’s so silky, so flowing, sp beautiful… I’d probably wear that on a date. XP
Thank you for the post! It was truly enlightening!
Sarah - Binghamton University
Hi everyone! Thanks for the amazing feedback! To answer some questions (a little late), wearing killer shoes sometimes is awful, so I always make sure to commute in flip-flops that I can easily throw into my bag. This way, the only time I’m really walking in my heels is around my office (and I’m at my desk most of the time)! It really depends on your internship though and how much time you spend on your feet.
@Devann – I don’t want to reveal where I intern for various reasons, but the best advice I can give you is SPEAK UP! Share your ideas, make suggestions, let your superiors know about your connections, your blog, etc. without sounding like a “know-it-all.” If you are lucky enough to be invited into brainstorms and meetings, ask questions and volunteer ideas! It’s proactive, and the worst that happens is that your idea is politely rejected. Also, an internship is the best time to take constructive criticism, so embrace it!
@Jess – I don’t get paid unfortunately. It’s the sacrifice I’m making as an intern. But, most of my clothes are from Forever21, H&M, and cheap places around the city. I use Polyvore to create mimicks of my outfits and be sure to use the option that only shows clothes either under $25 or $50. It may not always be accurate though!
@ManicPixieDreamGirl – All of my outfits are created on Polyvore! I would love to see your blog! What’s the address?