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Profile
of Robyn Ettinger, Intern, Philadelpia 76ers, 12/05
Story by Jon Ebel
PPW/Writing Center Publicity Intern
Robyn
Ettinger has participated in many internships during her college
career, but her most recent public relations internship this summer
with the Philadelphia 76ers was an experience she will never forget.
Robyn’s passions include marketing, advertising, counseling,
community relations, public affairs and more! When she found out
about the NBA team’s public relations internship opportunity,
she applied right away, but had to be aggressive to receive an interview.
It did not take long for Robyn to feel comfortable at her new site.
She was one of four public relations interns and one of nearly 12
summer communication interns. She was happy to work in an office
that consisted of a very young mix of male and female employees.
“The highest positions were held by females – very inspiring,”
she says.
Robyn’s tasks changed every month as new projects continued
to come in. Some of her duties included gathering clips and formatting
them into a hard copy for the office and as an HTML file to be sent
out via the organization’s media blast. Other daily tasks
included phone calls, emails, editing media guides, filing, and
editing press releases.
The work was minimal, and many times Robyn had to be aggressive
and enthusiastic to get work so that she could leave with an adequate
number of clips for her portfolio. There would have been much more
work to do if her internship was during basketball season. Robyn
advises anyone interested in the sports field to get an internship
and while the team is in season. “Not only is that the best
way in the door, but it will tell you if that is what you want to
do for your career,” Robyn believes.
Robyn faced many challenges at her site. While her attempt to network
did not work very well, she was successful in connecting with others
in the building who worked for other teams. Another challenge Robyn
faced was working for the Summer Hoops Tour under a less experienced
supervisor. Now that the season has started, she is becoming excited
about potentially working for the 76ers again, but reminds herself
to try to enjoy the season as a fan.
The internship has made Robyn more comfortable about entering the
workforce; it also helped her decide the sort of environment she
wants to work in. “Having experienced the professional world
before it is thrown in your face is going to give you a huge advantage,
not just in competing for the position, but personally as well,”
Robyn advises anyone considering an internship. “Just because
I was unsatisfied with my bosses, that didn’t stop me from
talking to others in the building. I built up great rapport with
several other high-end professionals in the office complex.”
Robyn is a junior majoring in communications and working toward
the Public and Professional Certificate. She feels the Certificate
will look good on her resume and that her resources and experiences
from the courses are priceless. “Never before have I had a
teacher tell me to edit my work for what will help me most in my
future, such as when applying for a job rather than working towards
a better grade – and I love that!”
Robyn advises anyone unsure of their career path to take an internship
in their field of in terest. She feels it’s the best way to
get real-world experience without taking big risks. |
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