Intern Diary: Rebellious Public Relations
By Maria Alonso
This summer, I accepted an internship offer at Rebellious PR, a full-service PR agency that focuses on amplifying the stories of diverse companies. Even though I have a few weeks left to complete the program, I can proudly say that I have learned a lot and I am thankful for the connections I have made thus far.
I originally found out about Rebellious PR while scrolling through Instagram. After browsing through their neatly crafted Instagram feed, I checked out their website podcast, I was instantly intrigued and felt a sense of inspiration. The internship program was not announced yet, but as soon as it was, I immediately applied without hesitation. Fast forward to one month after applying, I received an email from Vice President, Rachel informing me that I was selected for the internship program (I was so excited that I called my boyfriend right away to share the great news!).
From day one, everyone was very welcoming and willing to help. All the interns were grouped with several publicists, an account manager, and a“buddy” to have check-ins with.
The internship program is set up with weekly lectures that provide interns with real-world PR knowledge by not only teaching PR basics, and how to directly implement them with the clients of Rebellious. Examples of what interns learn and implement include:
Media lists management for several clients
Research clients/ projects
Press Release writing
Media Pitching
Monitoring of news/ trends
Fostering relationships with journalists
My schedule at Rebellious consists of working on assigned tasks from 10:00 A.M until 2:00 P.M., except for Wednesdays when I attend virtual lectures for an hour (10:00 A.M until 11:00 A.M). My tasks include assignments from the bulleted list amongst check-ins with the team. However, I will emphasize doing research for the latest trends and keeping up with the news in addition to writing press releases and media list building as I very much enjoy doing this.
Something very rewarding is when those who have been at Rebellious for years, compliment and celebrate the work of the interns. This is not to say that there is no feedback, because there is. I believe that something that has helped me grow as an incoming public relations professional is direct feedback and celebration of accomplishments. Feedback plays a direct role in the success of the individual and the company.
The best part of being an intern at Rebellious PR is the diverse and welcoming community; one where being othered is not an issue. I often was stressed about finding an internship that I loved, but now I am very fortunate that I get to work alongside super rad PR pros who embrace their authenticity while growing and upholding the brand of Rebellious. My internship at Rebellious has been one of the highlights of my summer.
As someone who has obtained a few internships throughout college, I feel that I can safely provide some tips. The three pieces of advice I would give anyone seeking an internship in public relations is to hone your researching skills (keep up with trends/news!), improve your writing, and learn how to network (you might be able to get an internship offer that is not posted on the internet).
A bonus tip: Don’t overthink it, you will find an internship.
