By Rachel Jones
Disclaimer: If you’re looking for a slow-paced summer job making smoothies, licking envelopes, or forgetting what you learned in school, this internship isn’t for you. If you want to be challenged to put communication theory into practice while getting the chance to make an impact among our nation’s leaders, intern with Pinkston Group.
This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern at The Pinkston Group, which is a Communications and Public Relations firm located in the Washington D.C. area. It was an invaluable experience, and one I would highly recommend to anyone seeking a life-changing investment, not to mention a glamorous, exciting time in the nation’s capital!
In my time at The Pinkston Group, I learned how, even as a lowly intern with no experience, to make myself relevant and important. I used what I learned in persuasion with Dr. Sharp Penya to motivate high ranking reporters to listen to me. I used my insights from the rhetoric of pop culture with Dr. Lemley to make my content competitive to a news agency with dozens of options. I learned how to write Op-Eds that actually got read, how to sell a story in 5 seconds, and how things really work behind the scenes in our nation’s capital.
The staff at the Pinkston Group made the experience all around enjoyable and fulfilling. They took time out of their fast-paced days and looming deadlines to answer any and all my “intern” questions. I learned from them how to use an Oxford comma, how to make a personal portfolio, how to live ethically in the world of PR, and they even assisted me in exploring a career path that fit my interests.
