As a new intern at Largemouth, I’ve been given the opportunity to re-evaluate myself as a pre-professional by setting some goals for my internship. I’m not going to tell you the usual clichés like how I’d like to “break out of my shell” or “go above and beyond.” I do desire these things, but I also prefer to keep my goals practical.

As a senior international PR student at UNC Charlotte and president of UNC Charlotte’s chapter of PRSSA, I sometimes get lost in academia and develop the delusion that I’m set to enter the work world full-time. I forget how valuable various internship experiences can be on my success as a future PR practitioner. Therefore, by achieving these practical goals I will have real-world experience to show for my summer internship.

First, I’d like to become familiar enough with each client that I’m able to contribute new ideas to their ongoing campaigns. Many interns complain they don’t get real hands-on experiences with the clients and are assigned mindless tasks during their internships. I value the opportunity to become a valuable asset to the Largemouth team by contributing my own set of skills and ideas.

Next, I’d like to expand my knowledge of copy writing, media relations and placement, B2B PR, and event planning. This is a goal I established for myself before even choosing an internship for the summer. Now that I’ve begun my internship at Largemouth, I realize there will be no shortage of work to do. I look forward to being involved with projects from inception to completion and later, having an extensive portfolio to show for it.

Finally, an important goal of mine is to begin building my knowledge of international public relations. International PR requires strategy to effectively communicate with countries abroad. Each country communicates differently and values different ideals. It takes a very competent and experienced public relations practitioner to effectively communicate on a global scale. With no current practical knowledge of international public relations, I’d like to begin my experience with international clients while at Largemouth.

I have a strong feeling all of my goals will be met while working with the Largemouth team this summer. I look forward to developing my personal brand as a public relations professional by creating work that I’m proud of. Largemouth will benefit from my hardworking nature and desire to produce high-quality work. This summer, I hope to maintain my humility by learning from the Largemouth team’s wealth of knowledge in the public relations field.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the recent cliché, “keep calm and carry on,” it’s not to panic and lose your focus. Despite my desire to jump into the work world, I can’t forget how valuable my time as an intern will be once I finally enter the industry full time. Therefore, I’ve created a cliché of my own that’ll help me maintain my focus this summer: “keep calm and intern on.”