PR Friday: All Work, No Pay: Finding an Internship, Building Your Resume, Making Connections, and Gaining Job Experience

TGIF! I'm back with a great read for those of you in college or about to be in college. A couple of weeks ago I reviewed Lauren Berger's book  Welcome to the Real World: Finding Your Place, Perfecting Your Work, and Turning Your Job into Your Dream Career  here, but this is really the book that I should have read first.

 All Work, No Pay: Finding an Internship Building Your Resume, Making Connections, and Gaining Job Experience  is a great read. Just like before, Lauren gives great insight on how to start with your internship search. Now before you think she's just any person giving advice, this woman had 15 internships in college. She's got some real experience to back up her advice.

Once again I loved that Lauren broke down essential tips for you in each chapter. The book is basically step-by-step so you are able to read a chapter and then start your search without having to finish the whole book right away. Some how-to books make you wait and then I get confused.

I also really enjoyed the examples that she gave in the book, and that she included "copies" of some important documents that you should make. I can be a very visual learner and this was great for me to set up my own system based off of hers.

The best part about this book is the networking advice. Networking can be a very delicate task, and I'm always nervous that I will mess something up. Lauren gives great advice and even examples on types of messages to send, which I found very helpful.

If you are just starting out, or a seasoned intern veteran you will still probably learn something from Lauren, because I did.

 All Work, No Pay: Finding an Internship Building Your Resume, Making Connections, and Gaining Job Experience

Read her book and let me know what you think! Comment below or send me an email!

Any book suggestions? I'm look for one more book to review before I leave for Spain!

xoxo

Book Review: Improvise: Unconventional Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO

This summer I've had a book rotation, read a fiction book, then read a non-fiction book. One of my favorite non-fiction books so far in "An Unlikely CEO" by Fred Cook.

Fred Cook is the CEO of Harris, a global public relations firm. However he has a degree in education and sailed across the ocean with a Swedish captain.

I enjoyed this book because it gave career advice from someone who didn't take the conventional path. Cook thought out each tip and even includes cute illustrations.

While reading other books you see step by step instructions on how to get to where you want to go. Cook however gives you advice on how to handle the curve balls that life throws at you. Say you didn't get a public relations internship, but a different communications one instead. Tailor your internship to what you want to do, or learn how to use the skills learned in one area of communications to another.

He places value on experiences and networking, not the "correct path".

As a public relations pre-professional Cook gave me confidence in my experiences and tools to use everyday as well as every once in awhile.

Cook's book also has funny life stories in which his lessons come from. This made the book that much more valuable to me because he explained how he had learned the skill or rule, and then how he applied it.

As a rising junior, I would recommend this book to someone as young as 16, and as wise as 55!

I read the Kindle version, but you can order it off Amazon too!

What books have inspired you recently?

xoxo

Summer Reading List

Since I am taking a commuter bus to work everyday, my summer reading list has become vital. I personally like to read historical fiction novels, as well as biographies and autobiographies.

Historical Fiction

Seduction of the Scepter: This is historical fiction, set in a made up country in Eastern Europe ( I assume) about the life of a queen there.

The Perfume Collector: A novel that switches between two women and their lives. I've seen this book on multiple other bloggers' reading lists!

The Queen's Exiles: Set in Elizabeth I reign, it's about the English Catholics who plotted to assassinate the queen.

Biographies/ Autobiographies

The Kennedy's: The Lives and Legacies of John, Jackie, Robert and Ted Kennedy: I'm really excited to read about America's "royal" family.

Decision Points: The war in Iraq is something that I grew up with, debated, and heard constant conversations about. I am really interested to see how this goes.

The Hard Things About Hard Things: A book written by a Silicon Valley entrepreneur. It comes highly recommended by several PR professionals that I follow.


What's on your reading list this summer? Please comment