On May 11^th, I walked through the doors of Neff Associates to begin my summer internship. Three months, eleven pitches, four blog posts, three press releases, hundreds of social media posts and ten orders of fries later, I am wrapping up my time here and thinking back at all I have learned by working at this incredible agency.

Here are just a few things I have learned this summer at Neff:

• PR is about keeping your ear to the ground. Being an early adapter to the newest trends will position your client as the “place to be” or “thing to have.” While trends come and go, remaining one step ahead sets you and your client up for success.
• Philadelphia is cool. Once the forgotten city of yesteryear, Philadelphia’s food, fashion, real estate and technology industries are booming. Being in tune with the day-to-day happenings has broadened my understanding of the city and strengthened my faith in its burgeoning future; from the local bank around the corner to the real estate investment trust in four major US cities.
• Networking is the key to success. Maintaining a professional and friendly relationship with clients, potential clients, media contacts and others is extremely important to establishing a basis of trust and support. President David Neff likes to say “Make relationships before you need them” and that is something I will take with me wherever I go in the future.
• Communication should be clear and thoughtful. Whether you are talking with your coworkers about your priority tasks or asking your clients for approval on content, it is most effective to be clear and use terms that will prompt actionable responses.

And most importantly…

• The office is not a place for monotony and boredom. Creativity thrives in a lively environment filled with laughter, music and movie quoting. Having fun with your coworkers is not something that should be limited to after work hours. It’s amazing how talking about a famous pig in Fishtown with an Instagram account can lead to a full creative brainstorm about how your client can respond in an engaging way to comments on social media.

This summer, I have had the opportunity to work not as ‘the intern,’ but as a valuable member of the team. My colleagues gave me the responsibility and freedom to work independently on major initiatives that would be seen by our clients and the media while always steering me in the right direction and ensuring that my questions were always answered. I am leaving Neff not only with a greater understanding of agency life and public relations, but an entire network of mentors and friends.

Thank you for everything Neff!