What do you think of when you hear the word intern? Do you imagine a personal assistant running around getting coffee and laundry? Is the first word that pops into your head clumsy or inexperienced?

It is time to re-think the intern stereotypes and start looking at interns as investments for the future success for your company.

Here are some reasons to invest in educating the next generation of PR experts.

Hiring new team members can be an extensive process. After browsing countless resumes, making tons of phone calls and holding multiple interviews, you finally find the perfect fit for your team.

However, the work doesn’t stop there.

The next step – training. Properly training an employee can have a huge impact on the role they play in the company. A well trained employee will be more knowledgeable and motivated, as well as more comfortable in their new position. But, all training is not created equal.

Read more to learn how you can improve your training process.

Young PR professionals might ask themselves “what’s more important – gaining valuable experience or continuing your education?” Well, it depends. A degree is as beneficial as you make it, so if you use the knowledge wisely, it can definitely be advantageous. However, real-world experience is also very important when entering the PR world.

There are benefits and disadvantages to both options. Here are some key factors to consider when weighing your options.

Read more to learn about the different outcomes of continuing your education.

Here are three tips to make your search a little easier.

Continue reading to learn how to score your first internship.

Last week, I attended a fun student-alumni speed networking event at Penn State Brandywine where I spoke to students about interview tips, networking tricks and job search advice.

Not only did I love representing Garden Media as a proud PSU alumna, I was inspired by the students’ enthusiasm and willingness to invest in their futures.

As with many of the talks we give to students about attending networking events, applying for internships and going on interviews, there was a common theme among the questions asked.

Here is a list of those top questions with tips for students:

Continue reading for common networking questions.

In public relations, it is crucial to gain real-world experience to learn about the industry. Studying communications and public relations in the classroom is beneficial, but nothing beats “learning by doing.”

For college students, the best way to gain hands-on experience is through internships.

Not only does interning provide you with beneficial work experience, it also helps you learn more about yourself, what you are good at and what career path you want to pursue in the future.

During my internship at Garden Media, I was given opportunities to work on long-term projects, complete tasks for clients and even develop relationships with the media. I gained first-hand perspective as to what it’s like to work in a small public relations agency. My internship provided me with experiences and professional relationships that will be extremely beneficial in my pursuit of a full-time career.

Continue reading to learn how you can make the most out of your PR internship.

For this week’s Speaker Series, we sat down with the newest member of the Garden Media team, intern Nicole Guarasci. Nicole is a Junior at the University of Delaware, majoring in mass communication with minors in advertising and journalism.

Nicole definitely stays busy at school! She is the public relations VP for her sorority Gamma Phi Beta, a social media ambassador for the University of Delaware (you can find her @BlueHenNicole on Twitter), and a Style Guru Intern at CollegeFashionista. 

Through her experiences at the University of Delaware, Nicole has really found her place in the PR world.

Continue reading to learn more about Nicole’s experiences at Garden Media.

For this week’s speaker series, we sat down with intern, Courtney Kates.

Currently a senior at the University of Delaware, Courtney will be graduating in just a few months. She majors in mass communication and double minors in organizational &community leadership and advertising.

Courtney has definitely found her place in the PR world. Not only is this her second semester interning for Garden Media, she is also on the PR team for UDress Magazine, a student run fashion publication at UD, and worked on the PR committee for Gamma Sigma Sigma, a service organization. 

All these experiences have made her realize her love for public relations.

Continue reading to learn more about Courtney and the role she plays at Garden Media.

I gave this to talk an energetic and really smart group of PRSSA members at West Chester University. I had a great time and they asked a lot of great questions. It was an honor to share these tips with them in the hopes that they nail their next interview! I wanted to share my talk with you as well:

Sure, interviews can be stressful. You are subject to examination under a microscope, and you've got a small chunk of time to convince someone why hiring you would be a fantastic business decision.

With a little forethought, a bit of practice and the right attitude, you can walk away from that office expecting a good news phone call in the near future.

Continue reading to learn how to ace any interview.  

Garden Media loves its interns and we see them as valuable members of our team. Our internship program is built around one major goal: helping students succeed.

A Garden Media internship is not the type of program that just forces interns to get coffee and complete menial tasks. We want students to walk away with great things to include in their portfolios. And yes, our goal is to also help interns land a job after they graduate.

While the Garden Media team does its best to help students succeed, interns can do several things to stand out.

Continue reading to learn how to get the most out of a Garden Media internship.