Q1: What positions led you to your current one?
Cosentini is an Emerson Alum where she first began as a Broadcast Journalism major (ironically in class with Maria Menunos), she was also the news editor at the Berkeley Beacon. She then changed her major to print journalism, followed by plenty of internships, the LA program, and upon moving to New York, Cosentini then worked on a lot of agency work. Upon returning to Boston, she became an account manager where she worked with 10-12 clients including the Panera Bread launch. Most recently Cosentini landed her first corporate job at TJX (for 8 years now), where she manages traditional and social media.
Q2: What skills do you use on a daily basis?/What are some essential skills for PR positions that are overlooked?
Cosentini has a team of three with two separate agencies. “It is untraditional PR, you have to be flexible… self motivated, detail oriented and you have to juggle a million things at once. At a corporate level, I wear my marketing hat rather than a PR hat.
Q3: What tips for success would you offer to someone starting their first PR position?
- “Do as many internships as you can do, it’s all about how much experience, education is great, but your experience is better.”
- “Go into any job with a great attitude and be a go-getter, be proactive.”
- “Build a personal professional relationship with the media.”
- “Customize every single thing to every single person.”
Cosentini says that she looks for someone who is “creative, a go-getter, and a multi-tasker. We’re not pitching the media, so someone who understands the media landscape.”
Q7: How do you determine which media to send?
“We work closely with our agency, which media will helps to spread it.”
Q8: What’s your average day look like?
Cosentini’s day generally starts at 8:30am til about 5:00pm, “it’s great, unlike the agency world, I can leave at 5pm if I need to, but I know how it’s like to work hours on end to finish a campaign. But my general days include coming in, reading all the news and PR industry and talking to our agency. I always need to look at what’s happening and relate to our brands, things change on the dime.”
Katharine Mohana fortunately dropped by at our February 23′s meeting to give a few words about her professional journey as well as a few words of advice.
Mohana, an Emerson graduate of 2009, is now the PR Director at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. She explained that her job is to plan events, promote and support. She stressed that although “PR is one of those professions when you know what you do, there’s still a lot of grey area.”
After interning at the MFA, as well as five or six internships prior, Mohana deservedly snagged the job. She was hired in August of 2010 and one of her first and major events to coordinate was the opening of the Arts of the Americas exhibit. “I didn’t know anyone at the museum, so it was really tricky and required a lot of skill…but it was a huge success,” the event hosted, impressively, around 14,000 guests. In September 2011, Mohana was also the head of coordinating the opening of the Contemporary Arts Wing. She said she found herself “almost literally dragging from conversations, as politely as I could, staging photographs – always get your top member in the paper.” Aside from planning parties and events, staging and setting up photographs help build an image. Because these photos are going to be sent directly to the media, the attention consequently gains notoriety and reputation for the company or corporation.
Mohana also stresses the importance of promotion. This past month, the MFA hosted James Mercer from The Shins. A a blurb and photo was sent to The Boston Globe in the Names section. Traditional media is always going to be necessary for promotion and image branding because “although newspapers may be dying out, the need for the distribution of information will always be crucial” says Mohana. With having various musical guests visit the museum (including Dropkick Murphy’s, Airborne Toxic Event), the museum appeals to a magnitude of audiences.
Also in regard to media, Mohana oversees the preparation and coordinating of interviews conducted at and about the MFA. She puts together possible responses and general information distributed about the museum. Promoting and marketing one’s image is always imperative.
In delving into her interning past, Mohana describes the supporting aspect regarding public relations. It’s all about initiative; Mohana performed and learned rules of media image support, coordinate details of conferences, monitor every piece that is covered of the MFA, as well as organizing clips.
In closing, Mohana gave some advice for all us potential PR leaders:
- Get as many internships as you can – Even if you don’t get the job or the opportunity, use this as exposure, references and networking.
- Know social media – Do more than just possessing various online profiles (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) Know the rules and laws regarding Facebook events and so on, this is very important for marketing and promoting.
- Know the general media – Stay up to date with all current news and read various publications.
By: Doria Dallos
Emily Selter
Emily Selter is a sophomore Art History/French double major at Vassar College and already has a very impressive resume, one that would make many college grads jealous. She is a New York City native, and one of the most fashionable people I know. Her style is very old world chic. She counts Jackie O and Grace Kelly as some of her fashion icons and is absolutely obsessed with Coco Chanel (she even got to take a personal tour of the designer’s apartment above the original boutique on Rue Cambon in Paris). Having grown up with a mom in the fashion/jewelry business. She has been able to get a peek into the exclusive world of Marchesa gowns and Cartier jewels from a very young age. So I figured it would be interesting to interview her about the experience she has gained in the fast-paced and often cutthroat business of fashion PR.
Q: What’s your background? Do you think growing up in NYC helped with shaping your career/internship goals?
A: I grew up in NYC, and I think it definitely helped shape me as a person. I was able to take art classes at the MoMA and sewing classes at FIT to learn what I love most and also help build my resume. Just being in NYC is amazing, I go to museums every day and just walk around and enjoy the city.
Q: What was your first real internship?
A: My first real internship was at Krupp Group (www.kruppgroup.com). It was the summer before my junior year of high school. The first summer I worked there, it was a small PR firm but over the years it has grown a lot.
Q: Were you nervous going in the first day at Krupp Group?
A: I was so nervous! I had absolutely no idea what to expect and I felt so young, it was the only place that would take me as an intern because I was still in high school and I wanted to prove that I could do anything that a college student could do so that they wouldn’t regret giving me my first internship!
Q: How did your co-interns/supervisors treat you?
A: They were SO nice. Literally, could not have been more helpful and kind. It was funny because I went back the next summer and even though I was still in high school and the other interns were in college or already had graduated college, I already knew how to do everything from my first summer there so they came to me for directions and with questions!
Q: What were some of your daily tasks at Krupp?
A: I helped organize the showroom, packed samples to send to magazines and stylists, scanned in clippings and did a TON of delivering and picking up samples.
Q: Tell me about your second internship at Tiffany & Co.? How did you, then as a high school senior secure this amazing and paid internship?!
A: Tiffany’s was a lot of fun. I had my own desk and computer and company e-mail (and it was a paid internship!) so I really felt more like an employee than an intern. The best experiences I had were helping to organize a photo shoot and being the door girl at events, which is stressful but always fun! I really utilized everything I learned at Krupp Group at Tiffany’s too- internships are all very similar. If you are good at organization, filling out excel sheets and doing a great job on whatever task you have do, you will do very well!
Emily sitting front row at a Derek Lam show alongside fashion executives, including Vogue Editor in Chief, Anna Wintour.
Q: What kind of work did they require you to do at Tiffany’s?
A: I organized the magazine closet and scanned clips and did a lot of research projects on the different people that design for Tiffany’s to be used when making press kits and the like. I learned so much about the company, which has a fascinating history.
Q: Your latest internship was at Chanel, tell me a bit about that, and the experience you gained from it?
A: At Chanel, I interned for the managers of the boutique on 57th street in Midtown Manhattan. I got to help the sales associates on the floor, helped organize the stock rooms and got to know all of the merchandise. It was so interesting to get to know the customers and the sales associates were so helpful. Getting to know the retail side of fashion was a great experience!
Q: What are your goals for the future?
A: I would like to work in art or fashion. My dream job is working at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of art, which combines both of my passions!
Q: What advice would you give to other college students trying to add impressive internships to their resumes?
A: Here’s a blog post I did for college fashion about internship tips, check it out! http://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/7-internship-success-tips-from-a-4-time-fashion-intern/
Each year, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival presents a wide variety of performances, ranging from the classically beautiful to fun and entertaining to edgy and innovative. A full schedule of free talks, outdoor performances, exhibits, tours, and other events makes the Jacob’s Pillow experience rich and exciting for visitors of all ages.
Two Press/Editorial Interns assist with all aspects of securing and maintaining media coverage of Jacob’s Pillow, Festival artists and presented programs; and managing the editing and production of weekly printed programs. Press responsibilities include helping to manage media relations and materials for one of two theaters, maintaining clippings archives and tracking, drafting news and e-mail advisories, pitching story ideas to publication editors, and writing press releases. Editorial responsibilities include collecting program information from dance companies, editing and trafficking copy and layouts for approval, proofreading, and interfacing with the Graphics team and printers. As part of the Marketing team, the Press/Editorial Interns also develop strategy and execute targeted promotions, give public tours, work in the Box Office each week, participate in community outreach efforts, and other administrative duties as assigned.
Interns receive:
- Staff-led seminars
- Training and mentoring
- On-campus housing
- 3 meals per day
- $500 stipend and a $150 travel/sundry expense allowance
- Free performances and dance classes
- College credit, work-study, independent study, and/or cooperative learning programs may be available through your school. Or you may register for college credit at Jacob’s Pillow through our partnership with the Division of Continuing Education at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Check with your college registrar’s office and department to determine whether these credits will transfer to your school. Credit fee information is available after May 1.
Application Deadlines:
- Priority Consideration: Application received by January 27
- Consideration: Application received by February 27
- Post-Deadline: After February 27 please email address below to inquire if specific internship positions are still open for applications.
For application and submission instructions, please click here.
By Doria Dallos
February and early March can be a stressful time for motivated college students (especially you Emersonians!) in terms of finding and securing summer internships. I know that in the past few months I have been totally freaking out about this and applying to a billion places, improving my LinkedIn profile, and beginning to network with people both at school and at home. It’s funny because networking can take place anywhere from the Washington Square dog run (yes I have met some potential internship employers here!) to a chic restaurant in the Meat Packing District. Coming from New York City a lot of my friends from home have amazing connections that help them secure fantastic internships at places like Chanel, Tiffany & co., and Hearst magazines. Right now I’m trying to figure out how I want to spend my summer and where I want to intern. I’ve applied to several places that interest me; a luxury travel/hotel PR agency, Christie’s auction house, z100, The American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival. We’ll see which companies I’ll get replies from, but right now I’m just in that agonizing waiting period. While it is hard to find and secure internships without “insider connections”, don’t be shy to go on websites like freefashioninternships.com and lazyzach.com! My dad recently gifted me with the job/internship-hunting bible “What Color is Your Parachute?” by Richard Nelson Bolles. This book offers some great tips on how to differentiate yourself from the rest of the crowd, as well as lot of emotional encouragement, as all spirited attempts can be met by temporary failure. I advise all fellow PRSSA members and Emersonian Marketing majors to start actively search for summer internships ASAP, as spots often fill up quickly, and deadlines can be a killer. Good luck!
SUCCARRA is a results driven agency focusing on fashion public relations. With offices in New York and Boston, SUCCARRA has secured features for clients in publications like Elle, InStyle, Lucky, Glamour, GENLUX, People, O Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Town & Country. Celebrities like Eva Longoria, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Cameron Diaz, Whitney Port, Vanessa Hudgens and many others have been seen wearing clients’ products that have been sent through the SUCCARRA Gift Bag. SUCCARRA has also secured placement for clients in coveted stores across the country and around the world like Ron Herman, Harvey Nichols, Henri Bendel, Barneys, Fred Segal, Garnet Hill, and Sundance Catalogue.
The BOSTON office of SUCCARRA is looking to add an intern to our fast paced fashion PR team. The intern/s will work very closely with the Senior/Junior Account Executives and Account Coordinators in their day-to-day activities.
The main responsibilities of the intern/s include but aren’t limited to: sample check ins, keeping diligent record of inventory, maintaining a tidy and organized showroom, handing shipments, assisting with set up of market week appointments, assisting with all press related inquiries, etc. Other tasks will be assigned based on experience and performance.
The ideal intern is extremely organized, eager to work and learn, diligent in their tasks, and has the ability to manage time wisely. Experience at a PR firm, magazine, or in a related fashion field is preferred. College students are required, you will receive school credit.
We are currently looking for someone to join us for SUMMER INTERNSHIP program, as well as FALL/WINTER interns. Please indicate “SUMMER Internship” in the subject line. If you would like to be considered for a Fall/Winter internship please indicated such in the subject line of your email and your resume will be reviewed when we open summer internship applications.
Please send your cover letter and resume to Justin Mills: justin@succarra.com. No phone calls please.
Toth + Co (www.toth.com) is a privately-owned agency, the creative thinkers behind some of the most successful global fashion, lifestyle, and retail brands. And our work possesses a thread of optimism sewn into every project.
We created a process specifically tailored to lifestyle brands, a process whose source is from another neighbor, The Harvard Business School. We entitled it Brand DNA. It is a methodology of putting the brand first. We look at how it affects the culture within an organization, and how it shows up in the lives of its consumers.
Our history is pretty simple. We started in 1983 as mid-wife to the birth of J.Crew. We then went to work with Ralph Lauren when Polo was $100M. Then we went down 39th street to Tommy Hilfiger when the company was only $80M. We left eight years later when he was at $1.4B. Then we hopped aboard Coach, where we changed the perception of the company as a bullet-proof, out-of-date leather bag maker to that of a symbol of true American Luxury. Coach now has a market cap of $14B.
Interested in an internship? Here is what you need to know.
Summer Program
Dates: 12 weeks, May – August, dates flexible
Hours: Part-time, 16-24 hrs per week
Compensation: Programs are unpaid and interns are required to receive academic credit
Application Deadline: April 20th 2012
To apply, please send resume, cover letter and answers to the essay questions below to internships@toth.com. Please indicate your area of interest in the subject line (i.e. Account Service, New Business, Shoot Production, Digital, Social Media/Blog, Creative, Photo Editing).
1. How has your educational background/skills/abilities prepared you for a career in advertising/branding?
2. Describe a recent project you are particularly proud of and discuss what you learned most from the experience.
3. What or who is your greatest inspiration or role model?
4. What would be your dream job?
5. What do you hope to gain from an internship at Toth + Co?
6. How did you hear about Toth + Co?
By Michael Perotto
While at Emerson, Haranis interned for a chemical company and because of her dedication and some great negotiating skills, she was flown out to Las Vegas for a conference as an intern.
After graduation Haranis began working for Dana Farber; however, her responsibilities did not follow quite what she expected. She was told that “there would be some developing work” but in the end, she ended up doing inventory for a lab (i.e. ordering mice to test on.) After a few months, it was clear that Haranis was not happy in her position and she made it her goal to get into the development office. Through networking and “taking the extra steps to show that I wanted this” she was offered a position in the Development Office at Dana Farber.
One her first day in the Development Office, Haranis was told, “we do not make mistakes” which proved to be good advice; at times, Haranis was on teams that worked on gifts, well into the six figure range. One thing that she pointed out was that “just because you are an intern or an assistant, doesn’t mean you do not have the right to speak. If you are in the meeting you have a right to speak”.
After sometime at Dana Farber, Haranis had lunch with the Asst. Director of Alumni Relations at Emerson. During the conversation, a job offer was not discussed; however, at the end of the meeting she was handed a slip of paper. In that note, Haranis read the job description for a position in the development office at Emerson. Haranis thought long and hard, and ultimately decided that she would never get an opportunity like this and she had to take the chance that was being offered to her.
While working for Emerson, Haranis honed her pitching skills, tabling and meeting with parent donors who gave significant gifts to the college. Haranis ran into many problems; she was so young, and many of the parents she met with thought she was just another student. She learned to work away around the age question with witty comments and by using her full name and speaking in a slightly lower register when pitching on the phone. After nearly two years at Emerson, Haranis realized she was feeling very complacent and decided she needed a change.
For a short time Haranis ran her own business out of her home and started her own business, Quantum Leap Communications. She decided to make all her contracts six months to test things out, and she realized that after six months it just was not meant for her.
Through an Emerson connection Haranis was offered a job at Rasky Baerlin where she started as an Asst. Account Executive but was quickly promoted to Account Executive because of her ability to “ask what you need me to better…because that is simply part of your job”.
Haranis leaves us young PR professionals with some snippets of advice…
2. Spin what you have done on your resume as needed for different opportunities.
3. Pick your battles
4. And always say to yourself, “you need to hire me, I am a f***ing rock star!”
Committees meet during Thursday meetings from 7PM-7:30PM–typically right after speakers or workshops. Joining a Committee is a great way to further your involvement in our Chapter, and is a stepping stone to attaining leadership positions such as Account Executive or Executive Board member.
The Committees for this semester are as follows:
PRSA Liaison, Headed by Stephanie Miceli, President, and Sofia Nasr, VP
The PRSA Liaison Committee serves to enhance our relationship with our parent organization, Boston’s Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
Anticipated projects: Planning agency/in-house PR department visits at PRSA members’ workplaces; securing speakers; planning networking events; building a Mentor-Mentee program.
Social, Headed by Marissa Lasoff, Secretary
The Social Committee is responsible for planning social events within the Chapter, and in partnership with other campus organizations and nearby PRSSA Chapters. Events may include retreats, community service events, and more!
FUNdraising, Headed by Michael Perotto, VP of Finance
Plan and produce fundraising events for the Chapter and/or its designated philanthropies. These events will be entered into PRSSA’s FUNdraising Bowl- offering you the chance to get national recognition.
Creative, Headed by Kelsey Doherty, VP of Marketing
The Creative Committee not only assists Emerson Group clients with their design needs, it also produces collateral and pitches campus media for the Chapter’s internal events.
New Business, Headed By Matt Grossbart, Emerson Group Director
Assist with finding new clients for the upcoming semester, through outreach, and writing business proposals for prospective clients when needed. Responsibilities may also include planning consultation events for prospective clients, and enhancing client retention strategies.
Web, Headed by Crystal Witter, Web Director
Looking to enhance your portfolio? Write for the PRSSA blog–whether it’s blogging about PR industry trends, or a follow-up post on a speaking event. Committee members will also be asked to assist in managing social media presence, gaining valuable experience in community management and metrics analysis.
Money can’t buy you class… But $50 can get you PRSSA National membership!
While there is no formal application for getting involved with our Chapter, in order to be formally recognized as a PRSSA National member, you must pay dues once a year to PRSSA National Headquarters.
Below are answers to the questions we most frequently receive regarding dues. If there’s anything we didn’t cover, please e-mail the e-board at prssa.emerson@gmail.com.
How much are dues?
$50
Do they have to be renewed?
Yes, every year. Those who pay this semester will be considered National members from March 1, 2012 through March 1, 2013.
When is the deadline for dues this semester?
Thursday, February 16, collected by our VP of Finance, Michael Perotto.
Why pay dues?
There are several benefits dues-paying members get that non-dues paying don’t. They include:
- Access to local and national scholarships
- Ability to participate in the national Bateman Case Study Competition
- Access to PRSSA’s paid/for credit job and internship databases
- Reduced registration rates for National Conference and Regional Conferences
- Reduced registration to PRSA meetings in any region of the country
- Recognition as a National member
- Access to PRSA Mentor Directory
- Ability to run for National Committee
- $60 PRSA associate membership fee up to five months before and two years graduation–a savings of nearly $200. This connects you to 20,000 PR professionals.
- FREE membership to one of PRSA’s Professional Interest sections, which connect you to PR professionals in certain sectors of the industry–from sports and entertainment, to financial communications, to new professionals.
Is paying dues required?
No. However, it is strongly encouraged. As a non-paying member, you will still have the benefits of attending our meetings and hearing from speakers, being an Account Associate or Account Executive within the Emerson Group, and holding Committee Chair and Executive Board positions within our Chapter. Please note, however, that without paying dues, even if you’re active within our Chapter, you unfortunately won’t get the recognition as an official PRSSA member. Though it may seem a large investment, it is an investment in your future–and being a dues-paying member can actually save you and the College money.
How will it save money?
There are several events from now until March 1, 2013. These include PRSA Boston meetings, Regional Activities, and National Conference in San Francisco, CA.
For argument’s sake, let’s say you want to go to Boston University’s Regional Activity.
For PRSSA members: $25 registration
For non-PRSSA members: $35 registration
Then National Conference…
For PRSSA members: $295
For non-PRSSA members: $350
PRSA Boston panel:
PRSSA members: $10
Non-PRSSA members: $15
So if you go to all those events, you will have spent $70–$20 more than dues.
As paying dues also gives you access to scholarships, participation in award-granting competitions, and paid internships at companies looking to specifically hire PRSSA students– if you take full advantage, you’ll earn back the money you spent!
As we are an SGA-recognized organization, we have the ability to appeal for money to cover trip expenses–including conference registration, flights, and lodging. We appreciate the support we receive from SGA, and paying dues will help cut costs during the appeal process.
Where does my money go?
ALL of it goes to PRSSA National HQ in New York City, not to our Chapter (Emerson’s student activities fee prohibits us from collecting local dues anyhow). As PRSSA is a pre-professional organization, your dues enable it to provide the best programming possible. This is spent on speaker fees for National Conference, National Assembly, Regional Activities, and programming for your local PRSA Chapter.
I can’t pay dues now. Is there a payment plan?
There is no formal payment plan. Dues are collected on either March 1 or October 1, so if you can’t pay now, you can wait until the next collection round. However, please feel welcome to approach the current VP of Finance to see how your dues may be covered by FUNdraising efforts.
Where can I find additional information?
View this list of complete member benefits for more information.