Jenny's eight weeks with Elettra
Two months ago I began my internship at Elettra. I’ve somehow time warped into my last week, because it feels like yesterday was my first day. That being said, I’ve been fortunate to accomplish a lot in eight weeks. Between helping out with events, drafting communication tools, creating social media content and putting together media kits, it’s been an exciting time. For the sake of being short and sweet, I won’t recap everything I’ve experienced here. Instead, I’ll share the top three lessons I’ve learned.
Lesson 1: Know your industry Completing PR school in Toronto, I was curious about how Vancouver would compare. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that practical skills are only as valuable as your knowledge of the industry. Being a good writer means nothing if you don’t know who to pitch to, or how to address your audience.
At Elettra I spent plenty of time familiarizing myself with the Vancouver media landscape – studying local newspapers and blogs, scanning for coverage, and composing media lists.
Lesson 2: Be detail-oriented I was lucky to experience the Pacific Centre Make an Entrance fashion show from planning stages to event day. I quickly learned how important attention to detail is, as we examined every angle of the event – from what to do if it rained, to what kind of skirting to use on the runway.
Simone warned me, be ready for anything. If you can imagine it, it can happen. Behind the scenes, the ladies of Elettra were prepared for any possible situation. This meticulous mindset resulted in a successful and memorable event.
Lesson 3: Think creatively Throughout my internship I also worked on creating social media content for Harbour Centre. In agency you’re forced to think creatively, as each client has a unique set of needs. The challenge here was crafting content that’s appealing for their audience, while remaining relevant to current news and events. Generating ongoing, original content encouraged me to explore new methods of thought.
Team brainstorm sessions certainly help with the creative process. Thankfully I was able to listen and contribute to quite a few during my internship. The fantastic part about Elettra is their collaborative environment, which breeds excitement and innovation within the team.
So that about sums it up. It’s hard to list only three takeaways, because I’ve learned countless things during my internship. I owe a huge thank you to the ladies of Elettra for offering me their knowledge, insight and support. As for me, onto the next chapter of my PR story!
You can reach Jenny on LinkedIn here.