Go for a tough time: The first internship experience for PR students.

In addition to classroom learning, PR students are very active in seeking internships to combine learning and practice. Through internships at news agencies, media organizations, or social organizations, students not only become more dynamic but also have the opportunity to apply their learned knowledge to real-world situations, update their knowledge, and hone their personal skills. Although they may still feel a little unfamiliar with the work, the students truly immerse themselves in the job, gaining confidence and a better understanding of the profession.

Improve your writing skills.

Writing is one of the crucial skills for PR professionals. To write well requires extensive practice; natural talent is only a small part of it. Unlike the hypothetical assignments in class, internship writing requires more meticulousness, refinement, and, especially, greater diversity in content and form, as each internship location has its own unique characteristics. Students are assigned to write promotional articles for various products and services. Some will be everyday items requiring simple writing, while high-end, luxury products need more sophistication and detail. There will also be articles for children and articles for the elderly. Each topic presents a challenge, forcing students to think carefully and choose appropriate words. After each such experience, students' writing skills become sharper and their thinking more diverse.“My first assignment was to write about Versace – a high-end fashion brand from Italy. I struggled for a long time trying to figure out how to write about this luxury brand because I was used to writing about ‘simple’ products when I was in school. Then I read high-end fashion magazines to learn from them, asked the editors at my company for advice, and finally finished writing. Thanks to this article, I now feel more confident when encountering other high-end products.”Do Phuong Thuy, an intern in editing at Nam Huong Media & Event, shared her experience.

Not only is the content diverse, but the format of the writing is also very varied. It can be an essay or a draft. Nguyen Dieu Thuy, a K58 PR student currently interning at Vietpictures media company as an editor for the S_Vietnam program, shared: “In the editor position, I've been trained to write logically, clearly, and concisely. In addition, I've learned how to write scripts for a television program, not just the content, but also scripts for filming and editing. I'm very happy to be able to apply my knowledge from school to my work, understanding the scriptwriting process better—something I couldn't have imagined while studying at school.”

.Gaining more social knowledge.

Schools offer many social science subjects such as cultural foundations, general sociology, psychology, etc., but life outside is incredibly diverse and complex, beyond what textbooks can cover. To become a PR professional, students must continuously acquire new knowledge; this is a self-directed process that the school can only partially assist with. Through internships, PR students gain a wealth of new knowledge that will be invaluable for their future careers.

When creating a communication plan, anthropological factors are extremely important. No matter how good the plan is, if it inadvertently harms a particular group of people, it is very likely to fail. What better way to understand culture and people than through fieldwork and experience? “A ‘flat world’ has long been an ideal model for humanity to strive to build. In that world, there are no prejudices, no political institutions, no one leads anyone else, everyone leads themselves. I almost didn’t understand or appreciate that word ‘flat’ until I interned at the Institute for Social, Economic and Environmental Research (iSEE).” Pham Kien Trung, a K58 PR student, gained a lot of new knowledge about LGBT people and ethnic minorities while interning at iSEE – the first research center in Vietnam dedicated to studying homosexuality. “LGBT is not a disease of youth; being LGBT is normal for a person, and you have the right to be proud of it.” That’s one of the fundamental things Trung learned at iSEE. LGBT is still a sensitive issue in schools, so the internship allowed Trung to understand it more deeply.

Regional culture and the beauty of traditional crafts are recognized and learned by students right from field trips with the company. These trips not only increase their knowledge of culture and society but also make the students love their homeland even more. Although she has only recently joined the editing team for the S_Vietnam program, Dieu Thuy has already had her first experience trip:“A group of six of us traveled to Bac Giang to film a program about Lang Ngoi pottery. And after that trip, I learned where those ceramic paintings came from.”

Develop problem-solving and situational awareness skills.

Public relations, and media in general, are always full of unexpected situations, so they're not for those who are passive, slow to react, and unaware of the circumstances. University life is generally quite peaceful, allowing students to witness many bizarre and sometimes comical situations. Internships enable students to directly experience and participate in these intriguing stories. Without exposure to such challenging situations, students would likely lose their composure and be unable to solve problems.

Recalling her first experience organizing an event, Trinh Trang Thu, a K58 PR student currently interning at Hoa Hoc Tro magazine in the event department, happily recounted:

“Speaking of my internship experience, the most memorable incident was in 2014. During an outdoor event organized by HHT, it suddenly started raining heavily. Just as the band finished performing, the round canopy in front of the stage, soaked by the rain, unexpectedly collapsed. The organizing team was extremely worried, fearing injury to attendees and disruption to the program. But quickly, in less than 15 minutes, almost the entire team swiftly cleaned up the mess in front of the stage, even though we were drenched in the rain. Luckily, no one was injured, and the program resumed smoothly until the end.”

A steely resolve, courage, and composure are essential qualities for a PR professional. Unexpected situations are always lurking, and no one can foresee them all. Only a strong spirit and quick reflexes are effective ways to cope with these challenging circumstances. To achieve this, one must step out of their comfort zone and boldly move forward; the more challenges they face, the stronger their resolve will become.

Besides those lessons, the students also gained more confidence in communication, learned how to self-study and research to improve their knowledge and expand their relationships. Calling clients is no longer a fear for them; it's much easier and more patient – ​​a valuable lesson many have learned after their internships. Interviewing subjects via email and phone, then writing articles for newspapers – all these professional skills, which seemed easy in class, turned out to be anything but simple. From incorrect emails to subjects refusing to respond, to articles with incorrect formatting… all these problems arose from real-world situations that the students had to solve. But with a strong spirit of self-learning and enthusiastic guidance from teachers and senior students, the students overcame these challenges, despite many mistakes, and were even entrusted with important tasks.“The staff at Olympia School's Communications Department trusted me and assigned me important professional tasks such as writing press releases for the Olympia Film Festival. In addition, before the Olympia Film Festival took place, I had the opportunity to survey the event venue at VOV Television Station. During the summer, I closely followed the STEP UP summer camp, writing daily articles, and sometimes I also took photos for the summer camps to use as media material.”Do Truong Son, a student intern at the Communications Department of Olympia School, shared his experience.

Gaining a deeper appreciation for the bond between teachers and colleagues.

The first internship leaves countless unforgettable emotions for each student. A little fear, a little hesitation, and even moments of sadness from making mistakes and getting scolded, but then the work is completed with immense joy. This anxiety isn't unique to the students; the teachers also feel uneasy. Will they get enough rest? Will they be treated fairly? Will they receive proper guidance? Have I taught them enough to prepare them for work?… and so many other questions weigh heavily on the teacher's heart whenever students leave. "Do you know that I'm also looking forward to your return? Go ahead and keep going so your legs can grow strong. Your teachers and friends will always be by your side. Ten years from now, we'll sit down and laugh until we cry, won't we? Our profession is so beautiful, so lovely!" That's the warm message Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen sent to her students after an internship period had just ended. Although it was just a small message, it was enough to encourage the students' dedication to learning and self-improvement. It's true that there are many difficulties, but thanks to the guidance and encouragement of teachers and those who came before, the internship has become less stressful.

The students also realized that only when they stepped outside did they see that nowhere was as warm and peaceful as school, and no one loved and cared for them as much as their teachers. While studying, they only longed to work and meet many new people, but once they started working, they wanted to return to the loving embrace of their teachers. “Only those who went through the recent internship period truly understand how much they missed their teachers, like they miss their mothers. Returning to their teachers and friends, they felt cared for, relieved, and certainly felt warmer than the outside world. I don't know what to say except thank you to the teachers for everything! Only after leaving did I truly understand the meaning of their teachings; I couldn't have imagined it in the lecture hall! Meeting them again made everything feel lighter, life seemed a little brighter, and I realized a simple truth: worry less, focus on doing well in the present, and opportunities will come.” Nguyen Van Anh, a K58 student interning at Nam Huong Media & Event, was deeply moved when she shared this story upon returning to school after her internship.

The result of an internship is also the forging of close friendships. We leaned on each other when tired, shared a sandwich when hungry, and became friends. Some had never eaten supermarket bento boxes before, initially throwing away a lot, but eventually finishing them. Even when wrongly blamed, there were friends to show their support. Weekends, which should have been spent with family, were instead spent diligently running events. There were moments of sadness and resentment, but the playful jokes from my friends made me feel lucky to be here with these "little devils," so I'll have happy stories to tell later. Meeting celebrities, watching behind-the-scenes footage, overseeing prizes worth tens of millions of dong… These will forever be happy memories that bind us together as friends and future colleagues.

Driven by a desire to pursue a career in PR, these students fearlessly moved forward. Success doesn't come automatically, so they must take the initiative to achieve it. The path may be short or long, near or far, but there is no smooth road to glory.                                                                                   

Here are some photos of our students' internships: