Digital Candy PR Internship Field Notes

Position: Account Coordinator Intern

Timeline: September 2019-Current (Freelance)

The type of work that I did at (company) included….

For the past year I have been an intern at Digital Candy PR (DCPR), a boutique PR Agency that represents a diverse array of social media oriented personalities, brands, creators and more. Some talent we work with that you may recognize include Jenn Im (@imjennim), Jackie Aina (@jackieaina), Wengie (@wengie) and more. At DCPR, I take on multiple roles as the company is small and still growing. I help create and curate our social media content, pitch for clients, write articles, interview talent, attend press junkets and anything else that we need!

The most challenging thing was…

Being patient with results. I’m a pretty impatient person, so for Digital Candy PR, whenever I pitched for a client, posted content, etc. and didn’t get immediate responses or news, I would get frustrated overtime from not seeing the results. Overtime, I learned that it really does take time for certain things to go through and that if you do the best you can at the time, sometimes that’s all you can really ask for.  

My favorite part was…

The people and seeing everything come together! Being able to meet the CEO + Founder at DCPR and have her mentorship and advice is something that I’ll always be grateful for. I’ve also had the chance to write some big pitches for client nominations and seeing them be considered and possibly winning is so rewarding. 

What I wish I knew….

Networking is relationship building, not a business transaction. When I came to UCLA I knew I needed to network, but it wasn’t until I genuinely got to know those around me and my mentors that I realized that it’s honestly just relationship building. Even if you’re not in the same industry, building a genuine relationship with those around you and doing what you can to support others the way that they’re supporting you is crucial. I wish I knew that earlier so that I could have fostered better relationships when I started getting to know those around me. 

Advice for future interns…

Build genuine relationships and stay in touch with those around you. Show your gratitude because it really does make a difference AND will probably make someone’s day. Sometimes when people help you, they won’t know where it ended up going until you tell them. Also, be proactive and constantly challenge yourself to grow. 

Biggest thing I learned / takeaways…

Continue building genuine relationships and have your own voice. I dealt with imposter syndrome for a long time and know a lot of others do too. I would say to just act confident, even if you don’t feel it at times, and continuously work on building your strengths. Even if it’s intimidating, you just need to keep at it.