At a young age, I wasn’t afraid to reach out and speak to my peers or teachers.  I truly enjoyed being the friendly girl from up the block.  This characteristic stayed with me over time because my attitude hasn’t changed, and I look forward to meeting and greeting new people every day.  I’ve found this assertiveness very necessary in my current public relations internship with Porter Novelli (PN).  I was interested in the PN internship both for the opportunity to use my natural people skills and to hone my editing and writing ability.  

I truly believe a first impression is made with every initial form of communication, making speaking and writing two essentials to successful client, media and public interactions.   This 10 week internship has truly put my communication skills to the test, but I’ve learned a lot, particularly how to make a first impression a great impression.  

I work with Diana Valencia, senior vice president of the PN New York Multicultural Communications department.  Working with Diana, I’ve learned how to navigate a corporate environment, interact with new and driven individuals and plan ahead for projects more effectively while getting assigned work completed.   Mastering these skills means the impression I give to others in the office, as well as team members I’m working on projects with, is strong from the start. 

Some important lessons I learned about making a good impression during my internship were: how to dress for an office job, and how to operate in a corporate office.  I learned how to dress from watching the female professionals at the agency.  They were all very stylish, and I admired that very much.  I knew I had to find clothes in my closet that were similar for the work environment.  When you start work at a new place, I always recommend taking cues from those around you.  See how others dress, when they go casual and how they get involved with the organization. These can be great clues as to how you can also be successful there. 

When operating in a corporate environment, it’s best to always be honest about your workload to your supervisor.  If you need more time to complete a project, say so.  If there is a problem, errors or complications with a given task, make sure to inform your supervisor with a plan or strategy to solve the problem.  Make it easier for your boss.  After you stated your solution, see what he/she has to say then follow through.  With this work ethic, your supervisor will gain trust that you are willing to put in effort to get your work done efficiently and correctly.

For those of you starting an internship or entry-level position, I’ll leave you with five tips on how to make a great impression.

• When emailing your supervisor, fellow intern or a client, maintain a professional tone at all times.  Short-hand English is not acceptable, particularly in PR where writing skills are key.
• Don’t rely on spellcheck.  Practice reading your work out loud.  Sometimes you’re able to hear your mistakes.  Ask another intern, friend or supervisor to proofread your work after it is done.
• Be mindful of your multicultural environment.  Dress and conduct your speech and behaviors to that setting.  What may not be sensitive to you can be sensitive to others.
• Speak up.  Don’t be shy to get to know and learn more about someone.  Relationships are always important, especially in a PR firm.
• Don’t forget to smile.  How you represent yourself in front of others shows your character.

-Negesti Brown, Porter Novelli New York