Like every Frause intern before me, I am ashamed to admit I have never used the King County Metro. But I will spare you another story about getting lost in Seattle and waiting 30 minutes for the wrong bus. In fact, I’m proud to say that I managed the bus system surprisingly well for my first trip.
Aside from miraculously surviving public transit, these first few weeks of my internship have opened my eyes to the world of public relations and have been filled with many learning experiences, including a crash course in the language of communications.
With only an introductory communications class under my belt, I honestly had no idea what to expect when I walked through the doors of Frause. At my first “breakfast huddle” I was introduced to everyone and greeted with open arms. But as the morning discussion turned to more business-related matters, I quickly became lost in translation. People began brainstorming about something called “retail and hospitality,” throwing out phrases like “B to B,” “lifestyle brand” and “SEO.” I had no idea what any of these phrases or acronyms meant and all I could do was take notes and smile. Finally, when someone brought up the particularly puzzling “CSR,” Bob took pity on me and asked, “Katie, do you know what that is?” And I had to admit I had no clue.
But that is the beauty of a Frause internship. Not knowing the right answer is fine here and I have found that my endless questions are not annoying, but welcomed. Frause even stresses that internships are all about learning the ropes and sharpening the necessary skills to survive in a professional world. Now after spending a few weeks around the puzzling PR lingo, I can’t wait to continue breaking the language barrier, even though I may have to take the bus to do so.
- Katie Sells
