By Chelsea Bear

Marketing and Communications Intern

As I complete my marketing and communication internship at Pushing the Envelope, Inc., I can’t help but reflect and be grateful for the experience I’ve had.  I would like to share with you a little bit about the experience I had in the Rise Up Program.

Before I began this journey, I had no clue what to expect.  I came into this internship with an open mind to try something new and the information I’d learned from lectures and projects from my classes at Florida Gulf Coast University. Two semesters and seven months later, I realized that this internship has built and shaped my future. I am extremely fortunate to have been able to extend my internship into two full semesters.  All of the hands-on opportunities that I was able to pursue while interning at PTE have helped me feel extremely comfortable about entering the ‘real world’ as a professional in this field.

With any new chapter in your life there will be obstacles but, in my opinion, that is when you learn the most. I definitely did not come into this internship knowing how to do everything that I was assigned. But, I believe that is the benefit of having an internship- learning first-hand how to do things.  Each of the employees at PTE made it a priority to give helpful instructions and tips on my various tasks. Their advice has helped me become more knowledgeable and confident in my work over time.

Working on a wide range of different projects for each of the diverse clients has allowed me to mold myself to the ever-changing environment of working in a communications firm.  I have learned that each day has a hint of unpredictability along with set goals to achieve.  Through my time at PTE, I have been able to draft numerous press releases that have been distributed to the media and create content calendars that are implemented on multiple social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.  I had the opportunity to assist in research, have direct communication with clients and sit in on client meetings.  I was able to assist with email marketing and post client events to multiple online website calendars.  The skills I have gained through these assignments and so much more have helped me relate what I have learned in class to the real thing.

This internship served as the stepping stone I didn’t know I needed in order to be prepared for life after my undergraduate career.  When I graduate with a bachelor’s degree in communication in less than two months, I know I’ll feel even more grateful for my experience at Pushing the Envelope, Inc. since it has helped me shift out of the traditional college student life and into being a professional in the public relations and marketing world.  I would like to cordially thank Tiffany and the entire Pushing the Envelope team for opening up their office to help myself and other interns test out what it means to work in a communications firm.  Thank you PTE for an amazing experience!