Summer Intern

About Us:

Already Columbus’ top independent PR firm, Geben Communication, has ambitious growth goals. We’re seeking a summer intern to experience an immersive internship experience for you and more consistent support for our clients (which -- bonus! -- will translate into more portfolio pieces for you to showcase!). 

As a communications agency specializing in PR and digital marketing, you will have the opportunity to support various projects, assist with social media management and media relations, contribute to content creation, and gain hands-on experience in executing strategic communication campaigns. We're looking for a motivated individual with excellent communication skills, a passion for strategic communication and a desire to learn and grow in a fast-paced environment.

If this sounds like a good fit for you, submit your resume and a short cover letter explaining how you think interning at Geben will support your growth goals.

INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW

The Full Story.

We feel a deep responsibility to help you learn and grow during your time at Geben. So, what can you expect during your internship?

• One permanent client. You’ll be assigned to one account for the duration of your internship. This will allow you to dive deep into the brand, their industry and the work. You’ll be assigned meaningful tasks and take ownership over certain elements of the account. You’re a full-fledged member of the team.

• Two rotations. There’s a reason medical students complete rotations across various specialties. As a Geben intern, you’ll complete two “rotations” with client success managers. You’ll be assigned to one client success manager for the first half of your internship and a second client success manager for the second half. You’ll work side-by-side with that manager on their portfolio of accounts in order to gain valuable experience working with different teams, different sectors, different clients and different services. The broader exposure to the agency and our work means you’ll wrap up your internship with a more realistic perspective of agency life and various elements of communication.

• Meaningful connections. Throughout your time at Geben, we’ll organize meet-and-greets with anyone on the team you’re interested in getting to know. You can use this time like an informational interview -- learning about their career paths, experiences and advice and building relationships that will last beyond your internship.

Expectations

What do we expect of you?

• Innate Curiosity. We want you to ask questions to possess a desire to understand why certain tactics are recommended and how various campaign elements work together. We’re looking for someone who shares our belief in continuous learning and welcomes feedback as a positive force for growth.

• Embodiment of our House Rules. These 11 guiding philosophies are our North Star. Plenty of agencies offer traditional and digital PR services. So, what truly differentiates Geben? It’s our House Rules -- the guiding philosophies that shape how we approach our work, interact with clients, and support each other. Everyone on Team Geben embodies these rules -- it’s what makes us, us.

• Reliability. Geben interns are not forced to run errands or stuck with busy work. Instead, you’re added to our client teams in a meaningful way. But that means we hold you to pretty high (but fair!) standards, including meeting deadlines, collaborating with teams, starting your day on time, communicating openly and honestly, and doing what you say when you say it. 

• Honest assessment of your communication* skills. You aren’t expected to know how to do everything -- that’s why you’re seeking an internship. We do expect you to be honest about what you can do … and where you may need extra support. To thrive in this role, we expect: 

• The ability to write in a variety of formats (from tweets to byline articles)

• A deep appreciation for research. Bonus points if you have a knack for sleuthing out hard-to-find information online

• At least a basic understanding of metrics that help connect PR, digital and social results to tangible business outcomes

• (For incoming seniors or post-grad interns) Prior internship experience is required. Agency internships are preferred but not required

• (For incoming sophomores and juniors) Previous internship experience is a plus, but if you haven’t had an internship yet, you’re still encouraged to apply!

What can you expect of us?

• Exposure to a variety of elements of our business. One of the benefits of interning at an agency is the opportunity to learn about a variety of industries. Plus, we’re committed to helping you gain real-world experience that will prepare you for life after graduation. Some of your responsibilities will include:

• Researching and sharing trends that support account teams and contribute to the development of newsworthy storylines or content

• Researching industry-specific media, event and award opportunities

• Monitoring and tracking placements and successful content

• Building comprehensive media and influencer outreach lists

• Assisting with compiling monthly results-driven recap reports

• Writing and curating social media content

• Openness to shaping your internship to meet your personal interests. If there’s a certain element of the business you’re particularly interested in, we’ll do our best to create opportunities for you to gain that kind of exposure. Want to learn about business development? You’ll be invited to join our weekly BizDev meeting and understand how proposals, scopes and budgets are developed. Interested in how we launch new services? We’ve got a few of those coming up, so you can be part of those teams as well. We promise to work with you to customize your time at Geben to align with your personal interests as best we can.
  

• A culture of coaching. We believe feedback is a gift that fuels growth. As an intern, we know that feedback is critical to your continued growth. We promise to take the time to provide feedback in person (or via Zoom) and share both praise and opportunities for growth. Plus, we’ll give you background and context to help you see how your assignment fits into the bigger client picture. Along the way, we’ll offer coaching to help you continue to refine and elevate your work.

The fine print:

• This internship is 20-25 hours per week during the summer

• This is a paid internship at $20/hour

• Geben is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. This role is asked to be in office to learn alongside our teams.