One of the constants in students’ lives – besides the permanent lack of sleep – is the search for the perfect internship. In this post, I will describe my view on why internships are so important to me as well as why I always seize these opportunities to develop myself and try new things.

At my internship at HBI, while also studying communication science at Ludwig-Maximillians-University in Munich, I would like to apply my knowledge and skills learned from lectures in everyday work. Additionally, I would like to learn how to plan, carry out and control PR activities with regards to different clients, and how to prepare different press releases or articles. Also, I can implement social media strategies and support trade fair preparations. These new experiences will prepare me for my future career and expand my personal view of the world.

When I reflect on my experiences as an intern with HBI, I realize how much they have helped me professionally and privately to communicate and develop my skills. Here I will provide three insights that I have gained during my time at the agency.

Gain as much experience as possible

Not all internships must correspond directly to your fields of study because even without a direct connection, you can still learn a lot. For example, you can participate in an internship in another country to show you how to easily and effectively communicate in a foreign language – for me this is German. This experience is valuable and can also be beneficial for another career. In PR you learn very quickly how to summarize important information in a text or on the phone. Also direct contact with journalist is really exciting. At each job or internship, there are certain activities or situations in which you can learn something.  There are certain projects in which you can enhance your skills or learn how to deal with colleagues, partners, or clients.

Find out your strengths 

The aim of your internship should be to find out what activities and topics you are most interested in and how to connect them to your personal interests. For example, before you do an internship, you may think that you are very good at communicating and writing, but you have never written an entire article or pitched a topic to the media. How do you know whether or not you really can do it and also enjoy it? Of course you should not expect to do everything perfect right away, that is not the point. It is to learn something about it and to be comfortable with what you do well, while also finding it interesting and exciting.

Show the best side of yourself

Try to make the most of your time as an intern. You are there to learn! Always ask your superiors for feedback on your work and how you can improve for next time. Ultimately, you should work as an intern in the everyday office life to know and see what it means to work in this career field. If your internship is not what you imagined, try to make the best of it. Go for lunch or a cup of coffee with an employee and ask yourself, what issues are important to you and if you can take over certain tasks. No matter what industry you end up in, your internship experience will prepare you well for working life in the future.