Personal Contributions in PR and Advertising

In fashion PR, interns have very specific roles. We are in charge of packing up samples and scheduling the send-outs and returns, compiling weekly press clipping, digital and print, as well as clippings for special events, and keeping an extremely organized showroom and archive closet. Through this daily work, I’ve become really comfortable with these tasks. I know exactly what to do when my boss calls to say that “Elle is picking up Fall/Winter look 13 and 42 with full accessories.” These tasks may not sound like a big deal, but in this world of fast-pace fashion, they are.

I’ve felt proud seeing the looks that we’ve sent out actually show up in editorials or on covers. Every time I see our looks in a new issue of a magazine, I make sure to send it to my bosses as I know they will be proud too. Through these tasks, I’ve really recognized the value of communication in the workplace. Everyone on the team has to be in constant communication to make sure that the same looks are not confirmed for conflicting shoots. Among the interns, we need to be in constant communication about the samples that we are sending out and returning because our bosses expect us all to be accountable for every single send out and return even if we were not the one to physically carry it through. I’ve enjoyed having to be accountable for everything because it has really helped me learn and be more comfortable in my role and take the work that I’m doing seriously.

Aside from the tasks that all of the PR interns do, I have been in charge of several other assignments throughout my time here. Every week, I have to make an excel doc compiling every send out that was made that week and the publication that it was for. This doc is given directly to the SVP of Communications every week so it has been a great responsibility to be given. I also have been given the responsibility of fulfilling editorial credit requests and keeping track of the requests in an excel doc for all 2019 credit requests. When items are shown in a magazine editorial, it is the brands themselves that submit the little blurb in the corner of the page saying what the item is and where it can be bought for what price. When new issues come out, I go through them and see which of the requests were actually featured in the magazine, when credits are requested it just means that the items were shot but it isn’t and I keep track of the credits we actually get versus the credits that were requested.

I’ve also been given the responsibility of organizing about 400 archive pieces, physically, in a deck, and through our sample trafficking system, Fashion GPS, for our Paris team to disperse to numerous museums and exhibitions. I wasn’t given this particular project for any reason, I just happened to answer the phone when my boss called, but I’ve greatly enjoyed having this responsibility and completing a huge task on my own that wasn’t just intern busy-work. When I have to manage interns in the future, I want to make sure that the work they are assigned actually matters and that they feel they are making a difference, whether the task if big or small. I’ve learned a lot about what not to do as a boss through this internship, but giving interns real tasks is definitely something I’ve learned to do.