Every year when we welcome an intern into our agency, I am reminded why we spend the time and effort to make these opportunities happen. They learn, we learn and projects benefit.
Each year, we aim to take at least one intern from the major communications degree programs and over the past few years our interns have generously shared their reflections in blogs on our website and in this newsletter. They talk about learning beyond textbooks and about discovering how strategy connects to real clients, real stakeholders and real impact. They learn that agency life is not just media releases and events, but thinking, problem solving, listening and crafting stories that shift perception.
Our most recent intern, Caitlin was from the University of Sydney and she captured her experience in her blog you can read here. She writes about the shift from theory to practice and how much growth happens when you are trusted with real work and that trust is key. Interns do not want to sit on the sidelines, they want to contribute, and when they do, they often exceed expectations.
The research backs this up. A 2026 study in the Journal of Public Relations Education confirmed that employers in PR and communications are looking for strong writing skills, interpersonal capability and real-world experience when assessing graduates. Internship experience is often the top deciding factor for employers when choosing between otherwise equally qualified candidates. When we invest the time – both agency and student – we both win. In the past interns have come to work for us, they have brought fresh thinking and skills into our team and at the same time it has strengthened the mentorship skills of the team, too.
Internships have not changed much – and maybe that’s because as an approach, it works. I still remember my own internships, completed many years ago now, at SBS and Australia Post. At SBS I saw the power of storytelling and diverse voices. At Australia Post I saw the scale and discipline of communications inside a major organisation. Both experiences shaped my passion for this industry and opened my eyes to the creative and diverse career ahead.
If you are a student thinking about a career in communications, do not wait. Reach out. Internships are not a nice to have, they are the bridge between study and a career you will love.
Sue Hardman