The Struggle Continues

So it's been nine months since graduation and it seems that my job hunt method is becoming redundant. Cold emailing and applying has gotten me nowhere and while interning is strengthening my skills would it be most beneficial to stay at an internship hoping for a spot to open?

As I contemplate my next move to gain employment, I'm stuck. Mentors will tell you that it will get better and that your start is just around the corner. While that's words are nice to say, they are often not encouraging because they are just words. The reality of it all is scary, maybe I won't find that dream job. Can I spend the best years of my life working for free and not feeling like I've grown professionally?

I'm ready to begin my career, but learning patience is important. I've been looking for more internships (though Sallie Mae is knocking) while searching for my first position. Weighing wishful thinking and reality is my current struggle. Each day I get closer to my dreams and that's the thought that gets me through what seems to be endless rejection emails and no replies to my interview follow ups.

I am a PR girl and soon the world will know. I'm going to do great things!

Fashion Week Fall 2013!

Being an intern pro, fashion week is a bit of a stranger. I have always chosen to stay in the office in order to learn more about my craft and what I need to accomplish in order to bare the name "Coordinator". But as we are smack in the middle of a chaotic fashion week reflect on what the steps are leading up to a four minute fashion show.

Walking around the office during a time like this is an interesting feat. Interns scramble to get Lookbooks printed and get coffee for employees who remain chained to their desks. I try to remain focused on the prize, which is building my skills while balancing the "grunt work"

Fashion week amplifies the stress of the PR world but I only see the finish line.

Photo credit: Vera Wang Fall 2013

Dealing with Arrogant Interns at Your Internship

So we have all come across the attitudes that come along with working in the world of fashion. It's something you can either accept and deal with or fall apart and be devastated about. I choose not to stress the small stuff, especially when I have grad school and freelance PR deadlines.

It's natural to feel the need to go off in the face of pure arrogance but remember your purpose of being an intern, your there to receive academic credit, and/or a job. Having a blow up in the showroom while on duty at your internship over some he said she said nonsense just isn't worth it.
This is all part of your training, knowing how to input, return, and ship out samples is part of it, but knowing how to separate business from personal is golden.

Some people are not warm and nurturing, they may never say please or thank you. Maintain the joy you experience by working in fashion public relations because it will be what keeps you from climbing the walls.

Interning at an Agency

It's no secret that agency operations are different from that of working in-house PR. In most cases an agency intern is just that...an intern. The office segregation is comical. Interns often inflict it upon themselves by sitting at different tables in the lunchroom. But the scariest part would have to be the separation of simple amenities like bathrooms, which is often enforced by staff and owners of the firm. Agency PR interns seem to be the black sheep of the office. It actually made me laugh when I realized what the too secret agent locks on the kitchen cabinet doors were for ( to keep interns out).

The next 4 months should be interesting and I am so down for the ride. It's important for me to experience all that the world of fashion PR has to offer. Each day is more and more interesting, and getting used to an agency culture has not been easy.

I was offered the internship!

So two days after the internship interview I received an email offering me the job! I accepted of coarse! I was ecstatic. Moving forward and remaining relevant was a part of my plan for success in 2013. I knew the interview went well and that the internship was in the bag. Call in cockiness but it is shear confidence! I was born to work in PR. I am set to begin in January and I could not be more excited. Work hard and follow your dreams. They will come true.

Interviewing for a PR Internship

Dec 7, 2012-- On my way to an interview for a PR intern position in the big Apple. Surprisingly I am more anxious than nervous. It shocks people when they hear I'm looking for another internship right after finishing one. But my hunger to work in this industry is more than enough to make me over look my pride and focus on the dream.

Today my attire is serious but not boring. I didn't throw on a basic suit in order to appear serious but I chose a look that would showcase my personal style and ability to be taken seriously not only by a future employer but the ability to show clients that I am the one for the job. I am confident that my résumé is more than enough to lock this position down so it is up to me to sell the interviewer on my personal brand.

Although this is just an internship I treat it as if it were a job interview. Meaning showing up early, putting on a smile and letting the interviewer into my world and perception of the industry I aspire to be a part of. It's so important to showcase your ability to sell (yourself) when interviewing especially for positions that require you to pitch and sell ideas to perspective clients.
This time around I'm going to be a part of a PR agency as opposed to an in-house PR team and I believe this experience is needed to make my brand desirable. Notice how I've already claimed the internship without knowing whether or not it's mine. This is all a part of branding and making sure your future employer knows your intentions and confidence in your abilities to deliver.

Be genuine and let them know your ready to go all out and be the very best at everything you do whether its packing boxes or pulling samples for a shoot. Have a positive attitude from day one because you don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

Working My First Sample Sale

I was stationed in the Lobby of the tower in order to mandate the guest list of fashion gods, also known as Editors. As they lined up for the 9:30 sale I thought to myself "This is some crucial semi-networking time". I made it a point to introduce myself where appropriate provide a swift transition from checking in to hitting the sales floor of the sample sale.

Being an intern your not at the top of the priority list but eloquence and organization will often get you noticed. Being in charge of "the list" gave me the power to see who these editors were face to face. I engaged them with small talk about the weather and jokes about the rush that comes with some sample sales. Like the fights that were created for films like 'Confessions of a Shopoholic". I was doing it! And without even trying...I made them smile and a few even laughed and took the time to wish me look with my endeavors as they left the building. To think that I was once a shy girl.

A great quality to have as an intern is pride. Now I don't mean the kind of pride that causes you to be a complete jerk but the kind that is noticed in everything you do around the office. It's seen in the precision that you possess when sending out samples or calling the messenger center to check on a package. Have pride in your work and you'll begin to see the trust that your supervisors develop in your abilities. Some might say that being the door woman at a sample sale isn't a glamorous role. I would have to say that if your going into PR for the glamour...maybe you should choose another career.

My time interning has always been hard work and justly so. You have to put in your time and realize that everyone over you has once been where you are now and no one can respect someone who hasn't paid their dues. From the moment I entered the doors of my last internship I have enjoyed every moment. From the mistakes to this sample sale. Today was a good day! Remember that your dreams are attainable if your willing to get your hands dirty.

My Time at GUCCI

In September of 2012 I began a PR internship at Gucci in Manhattan. As I send out my last Gucci samples I wonder what great things I will move on to next.

Today is my last day as I ride on the train to the corporate office for what will be my last time as an intern I reflect on the enter experience. Some would say that days here were boring. I'd say you didn't look for things to do. Some would say they didn't like the atmosphere. I say you had too much time to care or notice. My main focusing walking through those doors was to become a sponge at every given moment. Ask questions you don't know the answers to and know that it's ok to mess up as long as your willing to keep working on being a better you. The PR team at Gucci is comprised of hardworking people from various backgrounds and places in life that know and understand the hard work that comes along with being a PR Girl/Guy. I was never made to think the job was easy but always felt that it was rewarding when I saw the delight each employee displayed when discovering a credit in a major magazine. It was all exciting to me.

I began to envision myself as a part of this team. When Hurricane Sandy hit all I could think about was how much I wanted to get back to work. To be back in the showroom being productive and not feeling like what I do for a living doesn't have purpose. I began to build relationships with everyone that include. The receptionist was a cool laid back New Yorker at heart that gave me some great advice on finding work in this crazy competitive environment. The guys from the mail room understood my position on employment and constantly handed me information on how to better my chances of finding work. The gentleman in the Lobby was just as ambitious as I am and he made it a point to tell me to never let go of my dreams because they will be what contributes to a combination of happiness and financial stability.

My time at Gucci will always be remembered as the doorway to my future happiness. I don't regret a moment of time in that PR department. It gave me "life".

The Pros and Cons of Interning In - House

So you got an internship in the PR department of a major fashion label. What does this mean experience wise?

In house PR focuses on one brand. While at Gucci the team I worked with focused on all Gucci divisions from menswear,womenswear, and jewelry. The pros are being able to focus on pitching on brand to the press at a time, planning for one brand and be able to put all of your creativity towards that brand. I also hear that in-house salaries are higher though I wouldn't know personally.

All events will be focused on the brand your working for whether it be fashion shows or charity events. You'd meet with the same people and would be relatively close to them because they just may working down the hall or in the cubicle next to you.

The cons of working for an in-house agency are the lack of diversity in your skills and performance. At a PR agency which caters to a variety of brands your abilities are tested and put to use. Receiving a call from glamour requesting dark wash denim for a grunge James Dean inspired shoot and a request from Vogue for Bridal can come in all at once when working at an agency. I find this to be much more exciting and due to high product volume interns are often allowed to pull from samples closets themselves which is all that a true aspiring PR wants, to be hands on! To open up the pages of Vogue and see a Vera Wang gown that you pulled is breathtaking.

Interning and gaining real world fashion PR experience is important in any form. But it is valuable to have experience in both divisions. Send out your emails and put yourself out there. Your dreams are waiting to come true!