Details, schme-tails. The only people that need to pay attention to details are accountants, lawyers and physicians, right? Wrong. If you are looking to land a job at a PR agency, being detail oriented is not only an asset, it is a necessity.  

Why?

First and foremost, clients demand high-quality services, about 90 percent of which involve some type of writing or presentation creation. If you hand over a PowerPoint presentation meant for a C-level executive with grammatical errors, informal tone or worse yet, incorrect information, not only will you not get high marks for performance, but the agency’s reputation will suffer a hit as well.  Not cool.  After all, if a client can’t trust you to spell, why should they trust you with their business?

It may seem obvious, but check your work, check your work, check your work.

Second, perception is everything. It may sound trite and old-fashioned, but it really is true. Providing deliverables that are spelled correctly, formatted consistently and address the audience accurately will enable you to stand out from the competition and position yourself as a professional that can be counted on for quality work.  Agencies have high standards and if you have a grammatical error in your resume or cover letter or have misspelled something in an e-mail, your name will likely get pushed to the bottom of the pile. Plain and simple: paying attention to details makes you look good.

Third, there are multiple PR Internship openings across the Porter Novelli network right now, and the application deadlines are fast approaching. Before pressing “send” on that application, recheck your grammar, style and spelling. See the above two items. Seriously. 

Hi! My name is Brianna Wagenbrenner, and I am the new technology intern at Porter Novelli. I will be blogging about my experiences at PN and little things I learn along the way. Below are a few fun facts about me. 

Where did I come from?

I grew up in Roswell, Georgia in a family of seven. I have a twin sister and three younger siblings. I recently graduated from Georgia Southern University (Go Eagles!) with a degree in Public Relations. 

How did I get here?

After graduation I knew I wanted to be in Atlanta. Through PRSSA and my classes at Southern, I became obsessed with PR and digital trends. I attended Leadership Rally in Phoenix, National Conference in Orlando, multiple shadow days, PRSA GA’s Real World and spoke with PR professionals from diverse backgrounds. Finally after a few internships, I had my sights set on agency life. 

Why PN?

With many decisions in my life, I have made choices based on where I felt a sense of community and belonging. I play volleyball because of the amazing people I meet on the court. I went to Southern for the small town culture. I joined my sorority because I saw personalities similar to my own at rush. 

The same is true for PN. During PN’s Intern Open House, we had an opportunity to network with past interns and other employees, and I could hardly stop talking to each person. I knew after graduation I needed a challenging internship capable of providing a real-world education. I found that in the community of people at PN. 

Some advice …

If you are still in school, take the time to figure out what you are passionate about. Then research a job that applies your passion. This next step is important: figure out what you need to do to enter that job market, and do it! I have plenty of friends who are waiting to pursue their passions, but I am lucky enough to do what I am passionate about every day. And let me tell you; it is worth it! 

What’s next?

I have big dreams for my career. But to find out how the rest of my internship goes, you will have to keep reading. Happy blogging!