An old cliché tells us “practice makes perfect.” Variations suggest “practice makes permanent.” But when it comes to a PR internship, one bit of wisdom rises above the rest: practice makes experience.

Although studying theory and researching media law may teach you a lot about the history and foundation of the PR industry, nothing is a real substitute for practical experience.

If you’re interested in working in a fast-paced field, an internship is your golden ticket to adjusting the pace of your own learning. The office is a whole new kind of classroom.

But what are some words of advice you should hear before you dive into the world of PR?

Continue reading to learn more about advice for future interns.

Improving your writing is a gradual process. It’s all about learning to adapt your own writing style and creating a smooth, professional piece.

Sometimes, it can be frustrating.

With writing, every piece marks another opportunity to improve. And improvement isn’t limited to varying sentence structures, constructing a catchy opening and mastering grammar rules.

So what can help you improve your writing, regardless of skill level?

Read more to learn about improving your writing strategies.

With the recent backlash about plagiarism in the news, we thought we'd address the importance of honesty, whether in PR, politics or life. 

We’ve talked about honesty in PR. Lying about a crisis or about your brand will send your reputation plummeting when the public finds out.

But lying isn’t always straightforward.

What about plagiarism?

Plagiarism, a huge problem in schools and universities, also causes a lot of headaches (and worse) for PR pros.

Continue reading to learn more about plagiarism in the PR industry.

Workplace environments are fast-paced by nature. It’s easy to make decisions too quickly or lose sight of your goals.

Most of us assume we don’t have time to stop and think about being a leader, when we’re already so busy with the actual leading.

But evaluating your role in the workplace might be more important than you’d think.

We’ve all heard of IQ, but there’s another kind of intelligence that plays a huge role in every aspect of life, including the workplace: emotional intelligence, known as EQ.

Continue reading to learn what EQ is and why it’s important in the workplace.

When you hear about the Olympics this year, you might think about Rio, your favorite athletes or the qualifying trials.

PR pros also think about sponsorships — the advertising and marketing strategies that feature athletes and capitalize on the Olympic spotlight. Previously, only official sponsors — big name organizations like McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Panasonic — profited from ties to the games.

But new advertising rules from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) open the door for non-official sponsors to benefit as well.

Continue reading to learn how advertising changes will impact brands at the Olympics.

Last week marked a major milestone for Instagram. The app passed 500 million users—and 300 million of those 500 million visit Instagram daily.

To put that into proportion, “500 million” equates to about seven percent of the world’s total population. It’s also larger than the population of the entire United States.

Instagram is proud to announce its users share “500 million windows to the world." The app is blossoming into a virtual space where everything from “the everyday and the epic, are always within reach.”

Instagram’s CEO has described Instagram as a “media destination,” a place where users can learn about what’s happening in the world as it happens. Although this perspective reflects the attitudes of many other platforms, too, Instagram’s growth is really soaring.

So, what can we learn from this?

Continue reading to discover some of the biggest takeaways from Instagram's milestone.

You know that building a brand is an art. But there’s also a science behind connecting with your audience.

And in PR, you have to connect with your audience or you're dead.

Channeling all of your efforts into creating a perfectly assembled pitch or video without targeting an audience first is a surefire way to waste your time.

All consumers are different, but the science behind what catches someone’s interest is surprisingly universal.

Here are a few fundamental tricks that will help you craft material for your intended audience and, when implemented, make you stand out to consumers.

Continue reading for tips on how to incorporate the science behind PR in your strategies.

Thirty seconds. It’s enough time for you to stretch, send a quick text message or plan what you’re going to make for dinner. Half a minute can seem very trivial in the scheme of your day.  

But if you’ve ever tried to write an elevator pitch, you’ll know that thirty seconds can also be a secret weapon.    

With a well-practiced elevator pitch, you convey to potential employers who you are and what you’ll bring to the table on an interview.

Quickly catching an employer’s interest on the spot can be challenging if you're not prepared, so here are a few tips for selling your skill set in half a minute or less.

Continue reading for tips on how to craft the perfect elevator pitch for an interview.

With a large variety of social media platforms available, businesses have some tough decisions to make about marketing themselves.

Which platform is the best for interacting with followers, and by what criteria? Which platform will reach the biggest target audience?

Instagram has set its sights on appealing to business owners. The company recently unveiled a series of updates that will help small and medium-sized businesses better explore what resonates with followers — and it’s a game-changer.

Continue reading to learn more about the importance of Instagram’s updates for businesses.

Honesty is the pillar of the public relations industry, and an honest reputation is the most important asset of any organization.

The public evaluates professionals based on their reputations.

Positive reputations are difficult to build, and lying is the major reason that public relations professionals lose their credibility.

Professionals must be conscious of their organizations’ past, present and future stakes, not just those of the “here-and-now.”  One present mistake may cause temporary bad publicity — but lies to conceal mistakes, once exposed, create much more damage for a long-term reputation.

Continue reading to learn why honesty is always the best policy when it comes to PR.