Keeping on Track Among the Learnings

 In Blog

I felt more than ready to intern with Janice and Beetle Press at the beginning of the spring semester, having already completed two internships. I was confident in my writing, my interviewing skills and my learned techniques for the public relations field.

I knew I would learn more about Beetle Press, but I wasn’t sure exactly what I would learn. Turns out I gained experience in public relations, being a professional writer and being a confident person.  Here are some specific learnings:

Staying Organized. One of the greatest gifts Janice bestowed on me was responsibility. I was given a wide range of projects, articles, interviews and blogs to craft over the semester, and knowing that Janice trusted me with them made me realize that I was capable of doing a great job. But with different tasks came planning. When I was working on different projects for Beetle Press and The Creative, I had to be aware of what was what. I kept my planner close by, making note of interviews and deadlines for my tasks. Janice amazes me because of all she takes on—and I was happy to help take on some of those projects, too.

Expect the Unexpected. No job or internship is perfect, and I ran into multiple obstacles with my projects this semester. Whether it was bad timing, unexpected events or hesitation on my part, some interviews may not have gone so smoothly, and some pieces weren’t written as perfectly as they should have been. One of the most important things I learned was to expect the unexpected and make room for those little interruptions. I again found that planning was key. I remember when Janice and I were about to post one of my first blogs for The Creative, but there were details that needed to be addressed. It made me realize I needed to be more on top of my drafts for the rest of the semester.

Remember What You’re Writing. A student of communication can tell you that there is a difference between a hard news story and a feature, just as they both differ from a press release. I struggled to stay in those designated lines a few times this semester. One of the most important things about writing anything for a newspaper is attribution. I love to flourish my writing with images and details, but I needed to remember when it was okay to do that and when it wasn’t. Though I’ve taken multiple classes on these forms of writing as a communication minor, having the actual experience was valuable. Creating this content was real and it needed to be corrected if it was going to be printed or published.

I Can Do Anything I Want To Do. I spent most of my adolescence in a confused haze about my future. I knew I didn’t need to know what I wanted to do, but I never thought it was that important. This resulted in a lack of self-confidence that made me think I wasn’t very good at anything. After interning with Beetle Press for about a month, I sat in on a meeting with The Creative business partners: Janice, Maureen Scanlon and Ruth Griggs. I was inspired. These three women work for themselves and are happy and successful. I have been very lucky to always have been surrounded by strong women in my life, but the ladies of The Creative drove the fact home: I can do anything and be whatever I want to be.

Truly, in my time with Beetle Press, I learned a lot about things I already knew. I know that the specific experiences I had were valuable because one day, I might reflect back on them if I’m in a similar situation. I love to write, and I’m excited to begin a career within public relations. Some might see it just as writing the same things, day in and day out. But I always concentrate on the different people, their stories and the details of their lives that will make a regular story into a great one. I think I can thank Beetle Press for that.

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