Blog Post

A PR Experience Only a Startup Can Give

Elizabeth Schulte

If you had asked me a year ago where I thought I’d be working, I certainly wouldn’t have guessed it would be for a startup social app whose main office attractions consist of a ball pit, Nerf guns, and a dart board. Moreover, I never would have suspected that a majority of my coworkers would be fellow student peers and recent college grads. But that’s exactly what I got when I signed on to be a part of Hallspot’s PR and marketing team, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Despite the fact that I actually enjoy the time I spend at work or the office’s overly stocked snack bar, I find myself grateful for the opportunity Hallspot has given me because it has both pushed my boundaries and inspired my growth as a PR professional in ways I could not have imagined before.

Typically, intern positions this early on are used to make coffee-fetching easier for your supervisor or to fill up that white space on your resume. Not at Hallspot, however. Every day I spend with this company requires a hands-on attitude and the confidence to expect the unexpected. Before working at Hallspot, I would not have been able to describe the process and thought that goes into brainstorming, planning, and executing a successful marketing campaign or even define the term “competitive analysis”. But because Hallspot has taught us to adapt to its fast paced environment, the PR and marketing team has successfully prepared and carried out nine marketing events and campaigns since early October, which is invaluable experience Hallspot has given me.

In the PR and marketing world, communication is key to one’s success. While I had minimally developed professional written communication skills from emailing and other assignments during past internships, the time I’ve spent at Hallspot has refined my verbal communication and interpersonal skills to a degree I have not experienced anywhere else. On a daily basis, I’m expected to reach out to possible business partners and associates on a professional level and extensively interact with a variety of college students during our marketing events.

Another unique element of my learning experience at Hallspot is the level of teamwork that is required to execute organized, efficient campaigns. The PR and marketing team members must come together despite differing opinions and ideas to create events that competently market our product to a public that can be difficult to reach. While other companies often involve multiple interns working in the same department, an internship with Hallspot is unique because it entails a high level of cohesiveness among its entire team of interns. Refining this skill will make it easier to collaborate with various types of people and communities not only in the professional world, but in all walks of life as well.

Each day I spend at Hallspot encourages me to expand my creative boundaries to unknown lengths and forces me to exercise a learn-as-I-go mentality—an ability that was hard for my type “A” personality to comprehend before. While I never imagined I would be in the position I am today with Hallspot, my role at a startup company has equipped me with professional skills and knowledge that will undoubtedly make my upcoming transition into the workforce a little less scary.