Meet Team ZAP: A Day in the Life of an Intern
I’m Anna, a summer 2015 intern at Zapwater. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like interning here, you'll definitely want to read this! 6:00 a.m.
I wake up early to catch a Metra train from the suburbs into the city. I cannot wait until I graduate next June and can move to the city for a quicker commute, but for now I’m at home with good ol' Mom and Dad. Typically, on the train I drink coffee and catch up on reading, which (nerdily) is something I love. Right now I’m reading Eight Hundred Grapes. It’s about a love triangle, family drama and wine country- such a good summer read.
9:30 a.m.
I arrive at the Zapwater office in the West Loop and bring any current newspapers up to the office. After organizing them, I take a seat at my desk, where I check my e-mail and answer the front desk phone calls.
10:00 a.m.
By now I’ve made my to-do list for the day and can start on bigger projects. I usually start my day by working on social media for Block 37, a shopping center on located at 108 N State St. I write tweets about all things fashion, beauty, food and local happenings in the city. It's one of my favorite parts of the day because I get to personalize the brand's twitter account and also catch up on my fashion & beauty trends! Here's an example of one of my recent tweets I’ve written:
Image via @Block37Shops on Twitter
12:00 p.m.
Coming up with enough tweets for a week takes me a few hours so, I’m finished, I typically need a lunch break. On the days I don't bring my lunch from home, I can be found splurging on sushi or a Toasted Ramen Chicken Cabbage Salad from Root’s Pizza - SO good.
1:00 p.m.
I've hit mid-day, which means there are a lot of media placements to track and clip for our clients. I work on a variety of them, including Gilt City Chicago, Block 37, Entertainment Cruises Chicago (ECC) and Jak and Peppar. Here is a recent article I clipped for ECC from one of my favorite Chicago bloggers, Kelly in the City:
Image via Kelly in the City blog.
3:00 p.m.
After clipping and tracking is done, it’s time to work on creative, writing-focused projects. As a journalism major, I love this! I work on blog posts like the one you’re reading or sample media alerts and pitches for modern furniture retailer Room & Board.
4:30 p.m.
A lot of the work at Zapwater and in the public relations industry involves events. Sometimes that includes doing on-site check-in or simply sharing the event details with Chicago media outlets. Events are a really fun way to represent the clients outside of the office.
5:30 p.m.
The day is done, and I can head out to enjoy the city! I love meeting friends who are also interning downtown for dinner. A tasty spot right around the corner for doing just that is Parlor Pizza! Plus, they have a great outdoor patio to enjoy the beautiful summer weather.
Image from Parlor Pizza on Facebook.
This is just a glimpse of a day in the life of a Zapwater intern. No day looks the same, but that is one of the things I love most about PR!
- Anna, Summer 2015 Intern