My internship at Roar Media

Name: Stephanie Cruz ’17

Major: I graduated from the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts with a bachelor’s of science in public relations, an area of concentration in communication arts and minor in marketing.

Where did you intern? During the spring of 2017, I interned at Roar Media, a strategic corporate and digital communications agency in Coral Gables, FL.

What projects did you work on? As a public relations intern, I worked closely with the media relations department to pitch story ideas and contact media to secure organic media coverage. I did everything from media clipping and building media lists to pitching story ideas to major journalists. I even got my first hit! I worked with major companies such as Tampico and Big Brothers Big Sisters. I worked on very cool things including assisting with a CBS Miami segment and increasing event attendees for an annual gala.

How did your internship connect back to your coursework? Everything I learned in Professor Ottolenghi’s class was beyond helpful! Take him and thank me later! Walking into my first public relations internship, I felt confident because I had a basic understanding of pitching, creating media alerts and several writing styles. I also took a few things I learned at Roar and implemented them into my semester project for better results.

What was the coolest thing about your internship? The coolest thing was kayaking and snorkeling for the first time! Roar’s client, Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation, was featured on Deco Drive and I had the chance to participate and appear on TV.

What did you like most about your experience? My favorite part of my experience would have to be the company culture as well as the hands-on opportunities. The experts at Roar Media were genuinely interested in my professional growth and continuously gave me opportunities to brainstorm, pitch my ideas and sit in on calls and meetings.

What did you learn about yourself? Interning at Roar helped me develop one of my greatest strengths: writing. I also learned that I can do anything. I dealt with intimidating and dense topics I knew nothing about. However, I watched more news than I ever had, and read about real estate and finance to better understand clients and improve my writing. By taking this initiative, I proved to myself that no topic was “too hard” to learn or understand.

How did the position increase your professional confidence? I feel more marketable during job interviews, because media is a competitive field. I also feel well-rounded, because during my internship I learned about social media, content marketing, email marketing and more. It went beyond traditional PR and media relations.

How did you expand your professional network? In this field, everyone knows everyone. I connected with colleagues via LinkedIn and feel that I’ve made lifelong professional connections. I know I can ask for recommendations in the future, because of my hard work and time.

How did it help you prove yourself in the “real world”?  My experience at Roar helped me land a full time position before graduation and negotiate my salary! I’m now an account coordinator at Zakarin Martinez Public Relations.

How did you get your internship? I found an open position for a digital marketing intern on LinkedIn Jobs. The post was old and the position was filled, but I insisted that I would be a good fit for the company and wanted to get my foot in the door. There was a position for a public relations intern, which I landed after my interview.

What advice do you have for those beginning the internship process? Find a company you like and would want to land a job with, then reach out to HR or someone working there! Even if you don’t see a posting – that initiative shows your interest. Also, don’t be afraid of unpaid internships! Like college, it is an investment into your future career and self. I was a waitresses during my internship but never lost sight of my end goals.