Rapping about internships and the rhythm of life

Starting your career in public relations is like learning how to rap. Yes, seriously.

For many proactive students, finding the right internship is a top priority, and for good reason. A strong public relations internship with a generous mentor will teach you far more than you can learn in class alone.

And really, where else can you learn to pitch a story to an international news reporter while also learning to spit bars like Kendrick Lamar?

If you’re unsure, “spitting bars” is a colloquial term used in the hip hop and rap community to describe clever and witty use of language to communicate an impactful statement eloquently, concisely and fluidly.

Like rappers, public relations professionals sometimes refer to themselves as storytellers, communicators, and movers and shakers. They influence audiences, inspire communities, shape societies and influence thinking.

The power of writing is one of the most powerful tools a future communicator and up-and-coming rapper can amass. A public relations practitioner’s pen (or keyboard, as the case may be) is their microphone, and what comes through it is magic. The challenge, of course, is finding the right stage to perform on, putting you in front of the people you know will appreciate your music the most.

But before you can debut at Madison Square Garden, you need to learn to spit those bars.

How?

With all due respect to the countless wonderful professors and teachers out there, most of your learning will come from outside of the classroom. It happens at the park, while reading books, paying attention to the world around you and, yes, through internships. Real-life and hands-on experiences provide the perspective you need to grow. Internships help you take risks; to fail and succeed.

Through public relations internships, you will learn to laugh, be professional, take criticism and believe in yourself, all while shaking the hands of the people you’ll influence, the clients you represent and the leaders who will inspire you. You will discover your true interests and passions, and you will teach as much as you learn (because teaching is one of the best ways to learn).

Life, in many ways, is about human connection. The people you meet at your internships will become your advocates, your mentors, your leaders, your friends, your family. You will grow together, help one another, and evolve with each other. One person you meet during an internship can change the course of your entire life, much like how one perfect verse in a song can take it from decent to a Grammy winner.

Like music, public relations is an art. Art is beautiful, and creating art while studying it is the best way to hone your craft. The exposure and diversity of experiences you’ll gain through internships will mold you and help you grow and adapt in life.

You’ll continue to try new things and eventually see which bars fit together best. Along the way you’ll find the “hook” that’ll tie your career together in the same beautiful way it does a song.

Internships provide a stable foundation and much needed perspective at an exciting and often intimidating stage in life. They’ll help you turn skills into art, talent into artistry and ambition into results, while exposing you to new people and experiences in your new professional community.

In short, interning is the greatest gift you can give yourself early in your career.

So, what are you waiting for? Drop a beat and start spitting some bars.

By: Amber DiGiallonardo, Kaitlin Gault, Jimmy Luthye & Tariq Mohammad