Spring Break
The Daily OrangeInternship terrors and a lesson well learned
By Naresh Vissa
Posted: 9/15/09, 10:47 PM EST Section: Opinion
This past summer, I packed my stuff, and moved to another city to work an internship for an investment management company. I lived in a bankrupt Extended Stay Hotel, worked long hours and tried my best to do what I was asked. My boss and I agreed on a weekly wage.
After the second week of work, I developed bags under my eyes and was losing the hair on my head. My main task was to get my boss, and his partner's clients, national publicity. The clients varied from a plastic surgeon to financial experts, and they wanted to be on channels like Discovery, FOX, Bloomberg and Howard Stern's Howard TV. They gave me a phone and told me to make things happen.
"[Human resources] in most investment firms is simply a transactional function," said Peter Cappelli, director of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. "Get people in, and get them out without breaking the law. They don't do organizational development, training or job design."
Even though, no proper training was provided, which I had no problem with since I am entrepreneurial, but PR is brutal! The industry is all about who you know. Forget about press releases, e-mail marketing campaigns, CRM software and phone pitches, you need to have an "in," and I didn't have anything. I called mentors, Syracuse alumni, anyone and everyone, and had nothing to show.
After the second week two of the partners came into my office, and said they were disappointed with me and how much time they spent teaching me the business. Even though I had told them from the start that I was a 20-year-old intern, that PR is brand new to me, and that it's going to take some time.
The pressure built up. I wasn't getting any responses from any producers or journalists. I became desperate and was at the point in which I was prepared to beg people for things. So I quit. My supervisors hoped I could take their clients national; I told them not to depend on me. They should dole out $6,000 a month for a PR firm and see the results. In the end, I didn't want to waste their time, energy and money.
After the second week of work, I developed bags under my eyes and was losing the hair on my head. My main task was to get my boss, and his partner's clients, national publicity. The clients varied from a plastic surgeon to financial experts, and they wanted to be on channels like Discovery, FOX, Bloomberg and Howard Stern's Howard TV. They gave me a phone and told me to make things happen.
"[Human resources] in most investment firms is simply a transactional function," said Peter Cappelli, director of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. "Get people in, and get them out without breaking the law. They don't do organizational development, training or job design."
Even though, no proper training was provided, which I had no problem with since I am entrepreneurial, but PR is brutal! The industry is all about who you know. Forget about press releases, e-mail marketing campaigns, CRM software and phone pitches, you need to have an "in," and I didn't have anything. I called mentors, Syracuse alumni, anyone and everyone, and had nothing to show.
After the second week two of the partners came into my office, and said they were disappointed with me and how much time they spent teaching me the business. Even though I had told them from the start that I was a 20-year-old intern, that PR is brand new to me, and that it's going to take some time.
The pressure built up. I wasn't getting any responses from any producers or journalists. I became desperate and was at the point in which I was prepared to beg people for things. So I quit. My supervisors hoped I could take their clients national; I told them not to depend on me. They should dole out $6,000 a month for a PR firm and see the results. In the end, I didn't want to waste their time, energy and money.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
The Lyrical Miracle
posted 9/16/09 @ 10:44 AM EST
Man, great stuff. Great stuff. Now I know . . . if you're not good at something, just quit! Then write about it! Who cares if there's not a point to the story?
Wait. (Continued…)
Chris Jennison
posted 9/16/09 @ 10:53 AM EST
Yeah, I feel what you mean on the difficulty of PR. Even though its much more local, yesterday in my internship I sent out a press release and then was cold calling everyone to confirm and discuss the release- everyone was so dismissive, it was ridiculous. (Continued…)
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