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April 15, 2009
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The Intern Who Goes Behind the Glass Door

By: Asia Willis, Marx Layne Internship Program Graduate, Summer 2008

Was it that hard to find the building in the back? Was it those glass doors with “MARX LAYNE” in bold letters or the hard marble floor? As I opened the glass door, two significant movers and shakers of the company greeted me. Pearl and Grand, both considered two of the friendliest office dogs, were sniffing my purse and around my leg. I’m thinking to myself, “What did I get myself into?” Eager and anxious in the same breath, I was ready to embark on a world I had never experi¬enced before: the world of public relations.

At first glimpse, this marketing and public relations agency was quite an intimidating place to work as an intern. Behind the glass doors, there stood opportunity and chance, but this agency is tough, and only the fittest will survive. Jennifer Cherry, an account supervisor, suggested that I should never leave my desk without a pen and pad in hand. Sure enough, she was right; it was probably the best advice that was given to me.

As an intern, you are involved in every aspect of an account. Your contribution is not only vital, but it makes you feel as though you are part of a team. There is simply no coffee fetching or stuffing envelopes at Marx Layne. You are taught how to research, compile media lists, draft press releases and media alerts, maintain media contacts, media pitching and secure placements.

The pace and workload can be intense, but the opportunities and experiences that you receive as an intern are worthwhile and beneficial.

I can recall one day in particular when I was asked to come in at 8 a.m. to make media calls for an event that was taking place in Grand Rapids. Looking at the list at first glance, this had to be the media list of all media lists. In short, it was quite massive. I was calling and calling and was not successful in the beginning. Deadline was creeping ahead and still no secured media coverage. At this moment I felt hopeless, but I knew I had to push harder. At the last minute, two of the major TV stations in Grand Rapids showed up at Wal-Mart. With a sigh of relief, I was able to breathe and later realized that was the single most important media pitch during my internship here.

I’ve worked and met with media professionals ranging from Mary Conway and Val Clark from WXYZ Channel 7, Marge Col¬born from Detroit News, Steve Garagiola from WDIV Channel 4, and Alexander Zonjic from WVMV V98.7.

The single most important account that I worked on was Don Bosco Hall. It’s a non-profit organization that assists with inner city youths and their families. Once a year, Don Bosco puts together a benefit concert to raise awareness and funds for the organization. The other intern and I were the account executives in this case. We had complete control and responsibility over the account. We were equally in charge of scheduling radio interviews, securing media placements and coordinating information with Don Bosco’s marketing coordi¬nator.
After a month of planning for this event, I was very proud of what was accomplished. It amazed me even more that I was not that same intimidated intern who was stunned at the marble floor. I was capable of all the qualities that you need to become a successful account executive.

An internship at Marx Layne provided a true learning experi¬ence for me along with the opportunity to observe public relations professionals in a business environment. Their pro¬gram enabled me to develop marketable skills in a real-life, professional environment. You truly see the inner workings and a magnified view of a public relations agency and work.

Ms. Willis is a Wayne State University student and freelance writer.

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