My Summer at Edelman

 By Blake Manfre, Summer Trainee, Dallas

When I first started out at Edelman, I was terrified. The night before my first day, I thought I would be thrown into the fast paced public relations agency life, and all of my coworkers would quickly realize I was not suited for this type of work. Of course no one knew this as I tried my best to remain calm and confident to my friends and family who were so proud of me for interning at PR Week’s “Agency of the Year.”

On my first day, I dressed in slacks and a freshly-ironed shirt ready for my first attempt at the cruel professional world. On the day that I had built up so much in my head for, I folded clothes. As anti-climatic as it was, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, and the pressure I had put on myself slowly faded. I was not thrown into a cruel world; rather, I was eased into the professional life and guided through everything that I did.

One of the first things I learned here at Edelman before all of the media lists, the email pitching and the infamous all day meeting was to take baby steps and have realistic expectations to grow as a professional as well as a person. I wasn’t going to become vice president overnight, but I still felt like if I made a mistake, it would be the end of days for me. Making mistakes is human nature, and we are really tested by how we handle those mistakes. Working here has helped me realize this over time, and although I have a long way to go until I get a paycheck instead of snacks and coffee, I feel like I have a strong foundation for moving forward.

My time at Edelman has taught me so much about public relations as well as many other life lessons that go beyond 9-5. It can be long and unglamorous at times, but internships allow students to contribute to real meaningful work, which is something rarely found in a classroom. I could not put a price tag on what I have been taught here (unless you count my gas bill), and for that, I would like to thank everyone who has put time and effort into helping me grow during my short time here in the Dallas office.