I just realized that I have less than a week left here at the Great Southern Restaurant Group. This realization has generated many emotions, or perhaps it is delirium, as I near my 10th hour in the workday. Either way, I am truly sad to wave goodbye to such a wonderful four months.

What is an internship and what is the point of one? Technically, the purpose of an internship is to gain hands-on experience in the field of work you are interested in pursuing. Realistically, in the field of public relations and marketing, there is a plethora of positions to shadow. Lucky for me, I sought a pretty fantastic one! 

What I Thought Would Happen

To give you a background on how I came about interning with Shelley Yates at The Fish House would be the polite thing to do.  I work as a front desk manager at STYLE Downtown, a salon close by. Coincidentally, Shelley’s hair is made beautiful there. One day I overheard Shelley raving about marketing and thought, “I bet that lady could teach me something!” I called Shelley to see if I could be her intern. She agreed and so it began. Did I think I would write press releases and blogs? Yes and yes. Monitor our online presence? Bingo. As each day progressed, I learned that you have to be ready for the unexpected. The unexpected is called life, and in a textbook, they can’t describe how life can change all of your marketing plans in an instant. You have to be ready, accept the change as a challenge and be prepared to work.

The learning always comes when you least expect it. 

What I Hoped Would Never Happen, but Alas…

Alongside everyone on the Gulf Coast, I have been deeply saddened, confused and hurt by the predicament we continue to face because of the oil spill. But we are a resilient people and continue to look ahead, and we must remain positive and celebrate the beauty that we still have here. What I came away with from this tragedy was the experience to work with local, national, and international members of the media. Although I never would wish such a tragedy on a region, this has been an opportunity to learn. Never in a million years would I have thought The New York Times would call my cell phone!  

Not many people find themselves scanning Facebook at work. And if they do, they are in all likelihood trying to hide it from their boss. Not true at the Fish House. Never in a million years did I picture myself listing my expertise in Facebook (more eloquently titled “social media”) on my résumé. I feel that during this experience I have learned the value of this tool and how to listen to an audience and genuinely get to know them. 

The Moment of Truth

As I debriefed my experience, this is the conclusion I came to: marketing and public relations are more than writing, coordinating events and promoting new ideas to your audience. This is a field of passion. Passion for viewing the world in a way most don’t and passion for thinking outside the box. Staying up to date on new marketing plans may be of assistance in this industry, but the real key to success is keeping up with the changes that come with innovative concepts, new clients and popular culture.

Am I nervous about graduating? You bet! But I’ve got the passion and the drive to succeed.  

Good Grits and fried pickles to you and yours! 

Jennifer Allen

Tags: Atlas, Atlas Oyster House, Fish House, Internship, Marketing, Public Relations

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Chronicles of an Intern: Final Chapter