Tales from a Digital Intern: Aaron
Aaron Short is ruckus Digital’s newest intern, joining the digital marketing and creative team. Aaron attended Durham College, completing an advanced diploma in public relations and then a postgraduate sports business management program. Before joining ruckus, he most recently spent six months as a communications and marketing intern for the Ontario Basketball Association.
Ever wonder what it’s like to intern at a public relations or marketing agency? Our intern Aaron answered some questions about his time here at ruckus!
1. What got you into PR?
“In high school I really enjoyed writing a sports column in my local newspaper about my school’s sports teams. That passion for writing guided me in the direction of media but I wasn’t 100% sure that journalism was the best for me. I saw PR as an interesting profession because it was so diverse and full of opportunity compared to traditional journalism. Thus, I decided to enroll in the Public Relations program at Durham College which opened the door for me to pursue a career in PR. ”
2. What do you think is the best quality to have in PR?
“I think the best quality to have in PR is a great personality. There is a large amount of relationship building that takes place in the PR industry and if you’re not someone who can easily connect with others it makes life more difficult. The relationships you need to build go past your coworkers and management. You have clients, third party partners, vendors and many more. You never know how people can be able to help you and your organization so being able to quickly and effectively connect with people is a major key to a successful PR career. .”
3. How do you keep up with ongoing projects?
“With this being my first agency experience I was shocked to say the least on how fast-paced it really is. I quickly learned that trying to remember everything that’s going on by only writing down the bare details wasn’t going to keep me as organized as I needed to be. So, I’ve gotten in the habit of keeping fairly detailed notes about ongoing and future projects. From there I organize my priorities and set a timeline. I like to add things into my calendar, so I’m reminded to stay on track or even just so I’m sure I have time on a certain day to get a project done. Of course, things pop up all the time that can mess with your priorities and timelines and that’s why it’s vital to have an open line of communication with your team. People are really understanding and accommodating when they know what’s going on and where you’re coming from.”
4. Being so new to PR, how do you think things are going to change?
“I honestly have no clue how things are going to change. Obviously, technology is continuously taking over and digital has never been more important. Video and AI are rising and important to Marketers and PR professionals alike. But I’m not sure what role AI will play in the future or if more emerging technologies will steal the spotlight. With the shrinking media landscape, Influencers are integral to marketing strategies going forward. However, I personally see public trust in influencers will dip in the near future. As people become more aware of the influencer industry i feel they will become better at detecting those who are in it solely for the money and those who are genuine. Watch for a rise in micro-influencer utilization because of this.”
5. What has been your biggest take away from your current internship?
“Coming into this internship I had a couple of misconceptions about agencies. First of all, I thought of agencies as being mostly consumer-based with a focus on fashion and beauty. I assumed If you’re not well-versed in either of these (which I’m not) you won’t fit in or excel in an agency. I found out quickly that certain agencies are like this but not all. ruckus and Apex have a wide variety of clients and thus a wide variety of personalities which creates a really interesting and inviting culture. As well I expected agencies to be very demanding and serious. Of course, agencies are still fast-paced and can get somewhat intense, but there is a lot more time to talk, laugh and have fun than I would have imagined. We take our work seriously but at the same time, we try to have as much fun on the job as we can. Because at the end of the day, if you enjoy where you work, you’re more likely to want to work hard and stay for a while.”