An OMA Intern's First Week on the Job

As a new intern at Off Madison Ave I have been thrown into the big, bad ring of public relations. After all, public relations is my major and before I graduate it’s necessary to gain experience at an agency. So I chose Off Madison Ave because you actually get to do the work – there’s none of those coffee-fetching shenanigans.

The first step is learning all the agency’s tools- Workamijig, Yammer, Spark, Burrelles Luce, PitchEngine and Blastwizard. It may sound like a lot but once you learn the basics it starts to flow. My first assignment was to learn the art of media outreach – and, honestly, it’s what I feared the most. I thought reporters might not be receptive but, to my relief, I received positive reactions. Then the fun started, as I was able to move on and work with colleagues in the public relations, interactive and marketing departments. Also in my first week, I got to attend a professional development Webinar on social media and networking, where I learned some valuable tips about Twitter. For example, it was recommended that for every one time you talk about yourself, your next eight comments should be about topics others are discussing. It is important to spread the love.

This isn’t the classroom anymore. There are no more theories or pretend situations and that’s what makes it exciting. I finally get to do real work. This has only been my first week, and already I have experienced many dimensions of the marketing industry.