What I Learned During My Summer Internship at Karbo Com
I was not sure what to expect on my first day as an intern at Karbo Communications. I was excited, but also a bit nervous. I was confident in my knowledge of public relations (PR) and was looking forward to applying my skills throughout my summer internship. I looked to my internship at Karbo Com to give me insight into technology PR. Within eight weeks, I developed new abilities and a new-found appreciation for the importance of PR in high-tech marketing.
Interns are critical members of the team and we must be held accountable for the work that we do. I learned how to keep a positive mindset when accepting constructive criticism for my assignments. Receiving valuable feedback from my colleagues helped me improve my skills and influenced me to never settle for mediocre work. During my time at Karbo, I had to pay close attention to details, no matter how minor they seemed to be, such as formatting content for news scans or social media. I was motivated to put my best effort into every assignment that was handed to me, even if it meant that I had to put in additional hours of hard work.
As an intern, I understand being vocal can be difficult. Asking questions has always been one of my weaknesses. We may avoid asking for assistance for fear of potentially embarrassing ourselves. However, this internship made me realize that it is okay to ask for clarification, especially for critical assignments. To successfully work as a team, we must be vocal and express our opinions. The Karbo team is an inclusive and positive environment that allowed me to confidently speak up. I felt comfortable because I was surrounded by people who wanted to help each other succeed. This supportive mentorship and internship experience has strengthened my communication skills within a fast-paced environment. It can be difficult to complete tasks when working with multiple supervisors, but I’ve learned how to simultaneously work with colleagues who have varying, hectic schedules.
Tech PR can be intimidating, especially for an intern who is new to the industry. During my summer internship, I wanted to challenge myself by trying new things and completing unfamiliar tasks. The Karbo team trusted me and encouraged me to dive into assignments that I have never done before. In the beginning, I was hesitant to take on projects because I did not want to make mistakes, but this experience allowed me to be confident in my abilities. This complex and challenging industry has driven me to be an independent learner, a problem solver and a critical thinker. I started with a basic understanding of business-to-business (B2B) tech and walked away with knowledge that college coursework or a Google search couldn’t possibly have taught me.