Emily Eiges, a journalism senior, has always kept her finger on the pulse of the pop culture and media world. And when she accepted a late night and specials publicity internship at NBCUniversal, she got to dive headfirst into that world—all for a company she deeply admired.
“[NBC’s internship program] was always something I wanted to do,” Eiges said. “I’m so heavily invested in media and pop culture and I’ve always been a longtime fan of NBC’s properties. I just think they’re an awesome company and it was perfect because it aligned with my actual interests and career goals.”
For Eiges’ day-to-day, she analyzed news articles written about some of late-night television’s biggest stars, such as Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, to see what the media was buzzing about.
“Every day I’d come in and do press clippings,” she said. “I’d find all the coverage in the last 24 hours mentioning or about Jimmy Fallon, and I’d clip it and send it to the team just to make sure we’re staying on top of what’s being said in the media.”
She also explained that this task was vital in upholding NBC’s image, both in everyday circumstances, but also in the case of a PR crisis.
“If you don’t maintain these articles that are coming out and keep track of what’s going on in the news,” she asked, “how do you as a PR professional do damage control or figure out how to fix it?”
One highlight of her time was the connections and friendships she made with co-workers and fellow interns.
“I met so many awesome people, some that I consider my friends now,” she said. “It was an awesome networking opportunity because the people I became friends with are probably going to be my colleagues.”
However, no job is complete without industry struggles. In Eiges’ case, working during the writers strike posed unique obstacles.
“Hollywood was basically in a shutdown,” she said. " People were being laid off like crazy and even though it was a challenge, other interns most likely won’t have that same experience of being in a PR crisis. I think that’s the silver lining.”
This internship was unique in more ways than one, according to Eiges, who said that working for this highly respected program is a privilege.
“Even getting to say that I worked at such an iconic company is awesome,” she said. “It definitely taught me, for lack of better words, how the big dogs do it at these big media companies.”
Part of what put her in this highly-sought after position was the fact that she was willing to take risks and apply to many various postings—even if she lacked the experience.
“Apply everywhere,” she said. “I must have applied to at least 100 places and when I switched my major to journalism and PR, I was still applying with no prior experience. This was probably my fourth time applying before I got in. Reach out to anyone, make sure your documents are up to snuff and apply everywhere.”
Lastly, she believes that making connections, though it can be uncomfortable, is everything.
“It all comes back to networking,” she said. “I didn’t realize it at the beginning of my internship, but meeting people and maintaining those relationships is so important. If you see someone on LinkedIn, you can reach out to them. It feels weird to do it, but it will serve you."
By Stella Govitz