Diary of Intern Brittany Meek

Preparing for entering the real word can be quite intimidating. It is difficult to imagine life without 2 jobs, 6-day work weeks and late-night study sessions, but as graduation quickly approaches, thoughts of the real world are quickly becoming reality for Brittany Meek, Public Relations and Marketing Intern at the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Throughout my undergraduate career, I was very curious about how public relations was handled outside the classroom. Are practitioners really writing press releases and learning about online social media? Are they pitching new ideas to clients? Am I going to be prepared for a career in public relations? How long am I going to have to get coffee for my boss before I can be the boss?

After quite a bit of research, I made the quick decision to apply for a spring internship at the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau. My last semester has brought a few challenges, but I decided to leap for the finish line and put everything I had into learning how the CVB handles public relations, communication and the planning and execution of the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival.

Working with the CVB has provided me with many opportunities because instead of working with many clients, as many interns do, I have had the privilege to work with one big client—probably the most important one in this area. My focus and biggest gains have included invaluable hands-on training including event planning, social media and volunteer recruitment.

One of the best and most rewarding things I have worked on thus far is creating and maintaining a Twitter feed for the Storytelling Festival, @capeSF. Social media tools like Facebook and Twitter have a multiplier effect in the marketplace, and my job has been to continuously look and monitor at this area in a more dedicated fashion. In short, I have been the capeSF’s social media journalist, reporting in 140 characters or less what’s happening at the CVB and at capeSF. Once more people take advantage of the social media platforms; I believe businesses in Cape Girardeau will jump on the bandwagon.

Being an intern, full-time student and working part-time, the only constant is change—not only in daily schedule, but in daily work requirements. Versatility is essential, whether it’s writing a press release, contacting news media, assisting with Skype interviews or meeting with downtown business owners. This internship has offered the most diverse daily opportunities. It has given me daily hands-on practice with marketing, social media management and user engagement—skills heavily sought after by employers who are often desperately trying to understand the online media space. But most importantly, it has built my confidence about my fast approaching transition into the “real world.”