What I Learned From My PR Internship at PCI: Lessons That Will Stick With Me

The night before my first day as an intern at Public Communications Inc. (PCI), – eight weeks ago – I could barely sleep. Given that my in-depth knowledge of public relations was almost non-existent, I was worried that I would be underqualified and unable to meet the demands that came with the role.  

As I prepare to finish my internship, I’m reflecting on my time at PCI and realize my initial fears could not be any further from the truth. Not only am I leaving the office with a deeper knowledge of the inner workings of public relations, but I have also gained a new wealth of advice that will benefit me professionally and personally. Here are the pieces of advice that stand out to me the most.  

A Welcoming Environment Changes Everything 

Bianca and co-workers at the Garfield Park Conservatory

The aspect that most terrified me about my internship was the fear that I would be unable to connect with the rest of the staff. Because I am still in my early days of college, I worried there would be too much of a gap between me and my co-workers.  

Thankfully, this was not the reality I was met with.  

From the very beginning, the staff welcomed me with open arms. I adored all the community-building opportunities the company had to offer, from Jeopardy during Pride Month and movie discussions with the Nonprofit, Business and Government (NBG) sector, to our outing to the Garfield Park Conservatory & Gardens (one of our clients) during the July all-staff event, which was one of my favorite moments.  

Not only did the staff’s support help me personally, it also made me more confident in my work. The constant reassurance from my team helped me approach tasks more efficiently and more passionately. I do not think there could be a better environment for my first internship, and I will cherish all the relationships that I made here.  

PR Is Not Monolithic  

Before my internship, my view of PR was primarily in the context of celebrities, which is actually publicity. Arriving at PCI and seeing sectors dedicated to different areas of expertise (healthcare, nonprofit and government, conservation) applying numerous PR tactics expanded my previous definition of what the PR world had to offer.  

In my work with the nonprofit sector, I learned more about crisis management, reaching out to journalists and coming up with creative methods to better engage audiences to garner further support for clients. I always looked forward to the weekly sector meetings to hear about all the incredible things my co-workers had been doing. Furthermore, I enjoyed the all-staff meetings where I would hear advice from other sectors on the effective use of tools. Broadening my perspective of what PR truly is has been an excellent experience, and one I will always appreciate.  

AI Can Be a Helpful Tool When Used Responsibly  

Since studying journalism in college, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a taboo topic. We are consistently advised to avoid using any AI tools at all costs. When I started at PCI and discovered there was an entire Task Force dedicated to AI, I could not have been more shocked. However, after attending several of the Task Force’s meetings, I learned that when used responsibly, AI is not as scary as it is made out to be. PCI has developed a format, guidelines and policies ensuring use of AI is not allowed to go unchecked. It is used as a tool to help maximize employees’ time and accelerate tasks that could take days. With this knowledge, I feel far more comfortable with AI and am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to understand it better.  

My eight-week internship is ending, and although I am incredibly sad to be leaving PCI, I am thankful for all the opportunities and learning experiences I gained during my time here.  

Bianca Dishmon is a rising Sophomore at Northwestern University, double majoring in journalism and international studies.