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Home University: Auburn University
Major: Double major in Public Relations and Psychology
Internship Industry: Public Relations/ Marketing
Hannah Werner is a public relations intern for a large toy store in the heart of Prague through CEA's internships abroad. She works with the marketing team to attract customers to the store in new ways. She works on improving the company's online presence, using blogs, websites, and other materials, as well as their in-store presence, working on posters, advertisements, and physical marketing materials. Hannah has the opportunity to collaborate with Czech co-workers and work independently on projects.
"I have more responsibility than I thought I would, but love that I feel that I am making a difference at the company. This makes me want to work harder and make even more of an impact on the work that I am doing at Hamleys," she says.
Hannah is pursuing a career in sports or entertainment public relations, and her work at Hamleys gives her hands-on experience. She feels more confident reaching out and fostering connections with contacts to promote a company's brand and image.
What are your main responsibilities at your internship?
My main responsibilities are to brainstorm ways to attract tourists to come to the store. This has included reaching out to bloggers and websites to gain more customers at the store. Additionally, I have assisted with altering in-store marketing. I have noted things that could change about the marketing in the store and come up with new signs to be featured throughout the store. This has included working with graphic designers to design new signs to be featured in the store.
What cultural differences do you notice in the workplace? With your coworkers?
My coworkers speak mostly Czech, which comes as a difficulty for me due to language barriers. Additionally, Czech individuals are sometimes less talkative and less willing to embrace outsiders into their company. My coworkers have started warming up to me, although it took longer than it would have in the United States.
With your responsibilities?
I feel that I have more responsibilities at this company than one in the United States. The work that I do is not done in tandem with my supervisor; I am responsible for doing the work and my supervisor just reads over it before it’s submitted. This is very different to my internship in the summer of 2018, as all the work I did was done with my supervisor and I felt that I was more assisting them with work, rather than doing my own work.
What's one thing you’ve learned thus far through your internship?
I have learned the importance of communication at a company. Weekly company-wide meetings help everyone keep each other updated on what they are doing and what they need assistance from others on. Additionally, I have learned more about the public relations and marketing world. I have some experience here but this internship specifically has helped me gain confidence in reaching out to contacts and starting a relationship between them and the company I am working for.
How does your internship relate to your career goals and aspirations?
I hope to work in public relations after I graduate, so this internship has a great relationship with those goals. The public relations work I am doing (reaching out to bloggers, websites, etc.) helps me better prepare for when I will be reaching out to members of the media in the future. Additionally, I hope to work in sports or entertainment public relations sectors, which has a direct relationship with my internship at the entertainment-based Hamleys.
Eliza Jason is a CEA Alumni and Onsite Ambassador who studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic, during the Spring 2017 semester. She is a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University.