I applied for an internship at RED PR without the faintest idea what kind of work I would be doing. Despite having taken a college course in public relations, I couldn’t imagine what a typical publicist’s work day might look like. (I soon learned that this is because there is no “typical day” in PR.) Truth be told, the biggest reason I applied was because they represent some of my favorite beauty companies. Already being familiar with their clients and the rest of the beauty industry turned out to be a huge help once I started.
I quickly learned PR truly is the kind of field you have to work in to understand. Every day at RED was different. My regular duties included everything from putting together press kits and overseeing deliveries to media monitoring and basic administrative tasks. There were always a million things to do but that’s what kept it interesting – there wasn’t a single day or even hour that I was bored. As time went on, I got to take on greater responsibilities. Eventually, I got to try everything from drafting pitch letters and other press materials to helping out backstage at New York Fashion Week. Because RED is a boutique-sized firm, anytime I was curious about what someone was working on, all I had to do was ask how I could help and I got involved.
In addition to learning about PR, I also learned a lot about myself. I discovered marketable skills I didn’t know I had. I learned that I thrive in a fast-paced work environment. Most importantly, I left RED with a much clearer sense of my own career goals, and because of the top-notch connections I made at there, I was able to find a job in PR within months of graduating.
– Diana Kim, former RED PR intern
