Me and Michael Levine

Me and the legendary publicist, Michael Levine.

Just spent our last day together as his intern.

Why Smiling Is Important...

1.) Shows gratitude

2.) Shows how strong you are

3.) Says "That's all you got!?"

4.) Shows dedication to every task, despite how difficult it is.

I HAVE 2 WEEKS LEFT

My internship is almost over. I have completed 25 out of the 36 days of my very first internship.

At Levine Communications, that's rare. There is only a handful of interns that actually complete the 36 day internship. In my time there I have seen about 20 different people start the internship and quit within 2 weeks. Often times they don't even make it through the first day.

I must admit that I have thought about walking away from this internship a few times. It was extremely challenging and pushed me to a new limit of tolerance that I didn't know I needed for an internship. 

Through it all I'm still here, though. I am determined to complete this program, get the certificate to prove it, those letters of recommendations to serve as my stamp of approval, and further the rest of my career. 

The most invaluable gift that I can take away from this internship is my extensive résumé. With everything that I've learned and accomplished, my résumé crosses over to 2 pages easily. Makes look like I've been in this industry for years instead of 2 months. What's even better about my résumé being so long is that I still have 2 more weeks which means there will be more to add to it.

All I can wish for is that my new found work experience takes me to the next level so that I can continue to grow.

Always Have A Poker Face

If someone can see that they are affecting you in anyway, they will take advantage of that. As a publicist, professionalism is key. It can make or break a relationship, or the opportunity of a really big media hit. Consider a poker face a characteristic of professionalism. Gaining publicity for a client is hard due to the fact that this industry is small and that you will hear a NO before you hear a YES. Those NOs cannot affect you, or at least don't let people know that it affects you. 

Many people in public relations will tell you that you will have to have tough skin. They know what they mean when they say that. You have to stand your own ground. That doesn't mean be arrogant and conceited. That just means that you have to be confident and self motivated. 

A NO isn't the end of the world, so always wear you poker face. Let's face it: The more NOs you get, the closer you get to a YES!

Having An Off Day?

We all have those days in which we don't feel like ourselves. Maybe our lives at home are stressing us out or maybe you feel uncomfortable around someone in the office. Either way, there are a countless amount of reasons why we feel a little off. Unfortunately, we have to avoid "off days" as much as possible in the office or when we are doing anything work related. I am not taking away from the fact that life happens, but when we can control our attitude and the situation that we are in, we must take matters into our own hands and make sure that outside factors don't affect us.

Tips On How To Push Past Our Off Days:

1. Do not dress according to your attitude, but dress according to the job you want. 

-The truth is, the better we look, the better we feel. To avoid dressing how you feel, pick out your clothes the night before. You don't want to miss out on a great opportunity because you do not look professional

     2. Work extra hard

- When we are feeling a little off we tend to lighten up on our  good work habits. That is especially risky when we aren't feeling too well because we provide room for criticism. Criticism is harder to accept when we already feel down about ourselves so let's avoid it at all costs!

       

      3. Remind yourself of previous achievements

- I usually get discouraged when I find out that I did not accurately complete an assignment for my boss. That is certainly the one thing that can make me feel insecure and a little off my game. So when I start feeling like that I pull out the awards that I won in the first week of being here and they certainly remind me that I AM capable of being successful and I have already proved it. It's just important to work harder.

Let's look at the bright side: you can always be regenerated after having an off day and most likely you will get another chance to prove yourself. Let today be the last day you don't feel like your best.

Keep it Charged!

In this day and age, technology rules the world. There is no denying the fact that we are attached to all of our devices and that they are a great deal of help. 

As an intern, keeping my phone charged is imperative. And it's not so I can get on Instagram throughout the day, check Facebook,  or tweet. It's because I never know when my boss is going to say "you're coming with me". 

During the beginning of my second week as an intern at LCO, my boss, while heading through the door says "Jolene, you're coming with me". The first thing he tells me to do is pull my phone out and put some directions into Google Maps. When I pulled my phone out I noticed that I only had 20% of my battery left, and anyone who uses an iPhone knows that 20% isn't enough for anything. As we're walking to his car he instructs me to direct him through traffic. I was also supposed to keep watch of time during the meeting so that he could attend to his other engagement. Well, during the meeting my phone dies. I wasn't worried though because other people were keeping time during the meeting. But just because they were keeping time didn't mean that it was okay for me to rely on them. I was supposed to get my boss out of that meeting at a certain time and I failed to do so because I wasn't prepared. 

My boss never told me if he was able to make that engagement.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Preparation is the key to success. Keeping your phone charged is a form of preparation and it is important, especially for those of us aspiring to become a publicist.  

So This Sums Up My First 2 Weeks As An Intern...

I'd like to think that I was pretty successful.

This is the certificate and the coupon that I received for working hard in the office.

$100 gift card to Natalee Thai for helping out my boss at his 3-day  conference!

This is Tappy, my metro tap card. Gets me back and forth to where I need to be during the week. IDK where I would be without him =)




This is all that I have accomplished in the first 10 days of my internship. This is by far one of the best experiences of my life.  The people are amazing and they have made this experience what it is.
I'm most certainly grateful for the opportunities that I have had so far.