MY INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
By Oluwanifemi Akande, Junior PR Associate
The thought of a mandatory internship was scary and overwhelming. With no corporate experience and a background in hairstyling, the idea was intimidating. Regardless, I’ve always wanted to be a PR Girl throughout my university days, so I eagerly embraced the challenge. I’m Oluwanifemi Akande and this was my Internship experience.
Coming from a private university in Lagos where internships were required in the third year of my program, I had no escape. Since I’m a Mass Communication student with a focus on public relations and advertising, I knew going into this internship that it would influence my future career path. and greatly enhance my trajectory.
Given the freedom to choose between fields such as Broadcast, Cinematography, Print, and PRAD (Public Relations and Advertising), my heart gravitated towards the latter because it seemed to be the only field I paid attention to, and of course, because of all the movies I had watched like “Emily in Paris” and the series “Flawsome”, with main characters like Emily and Dolapo, I embarked on the pursuit of my niche.
I initiated contact with YD Company via email with my CV and stated my profound interest in their operations. With God, I got in. In all honesty, it was a lot to take in. Different corporate languages were being used, everyone was up on their game, and I felt lost at first. I found solace upon meeting my supervisor, Olaide and eventually other team members. Under her guidance and with their support, the pieces started falling into place.
My internship turned out to be a collage of educational chances. My perspective was widened by conducting comprehensive research, interacting with knowledgeable experts, and attending networking events like “The Big 5 Construct“.
I learned about the complexity of public relations. The staff’s strong sense of togetherness and the interns’ mutual support resonated with me. YD is an important part of me now, and I love what is being built there. I would try it over and over again.
