A trip to a fashion show inspired Integrative Public Relations major La
uren Brady to apply for an internship at Denise Ilitch Designs, a fashion design house in Birmingham, Mich.
She spent her spring break in Florida fine-tuning her resume, and by the end of her vacation, she had completed a phone interview with the company. After a second interview, she was hired as a social media intern.
Brady, a senior from Rochester, Mich., said her duties included public relations, fashion merchandising, marketing, communicating with clients and attending meetings.
“I enjoy working in a fast-paced atmosphere because it keeps the excitement going, so not having a ‘typical day’ made my internship seem more fun than actually going to work,” she said.
One of her favorite parts of the internship was participating in meetings with clients.
“Having a hands-on experience like this helped me develop my strengths and weaknesses,” Brady said. “I aspire to work in the PR, marketing, social media and business field one day. Although, I do not have a specific place I would like to be at the moment, my internship has helped me narrow down where I would like to be.”
The public relations program at CMU has given her the knowledge she needs to be a successful PR person, she said.
“I have never attended a PR class at CMU and thought that I didn't learn something from my professors,” Brady said. “My professors have also taught me that the more work and effort you put into something, the more rewarding it will be. This goes for both my classes and career.”
She believes internships solidify what you learn in the classroom. She enjoyed getting to apply her knowledge to her work at Denise Ilitch Designs.
“Going above and beyond what is expected was one of the biggest things I learned,” Brady said. “Doing something unexpected that is so small can make a huge impact.”
Brady received credit for her internship, but said she would have done it anyway to gain the valuable experience. She encourages all journalism students to get an internship.
“Not only did I grow with my career, but I also grew as a person from this experience,” she said. “Not to mention, it is extremely valuable to have on a resume and talk about in interviews. Having internship experience gives you a competitive edge and a polished, well-rounded attitude that others may not have.”