By Brittany Battista, Intern, Detroit Office

Industry professionals often tell me the skills they most attribute to their successes were learned on the job, and I have found this to be true through my internship at Lambert & Co.

My academic studies certainly taught me the fundamental theories and functions of the profession, which I was able to apply to my internship. However, on my first day at Lambert, I did not imagine the profound personal and professional growth I would achieve over the course of my internship. I could not be a stronger advocate for the value that learning beyond the classroom presents for effective career readiness, and I am so thankful to have been able to do so among such a distinguished and trusting team.

On my first day at Lambert, my colleagues wasted no time acclimating me to clients and account teams across every practice area in the firm. I quickly learned how much the Lambert team values proactivity and taking initiative. Within the first week, I was fully immersed in client-facing work, from writing press releases to contributing content for a client blog to participating in new business research. I had the opportunity to pursue projects that sparked my curiosity, my passion and my creativity within every corner of the organization. The best part was that I had encouragement from my colleagues every step of the way!

Throughout my time at Lambert, I’ve admired the immense collaboration this team promotes. Servicing clients from so many different practice areas means that flexibility and patience are essential in the learning process. It also means understanding how to effectively scale available resources and utilize the unique qualities of each team member to maximize your success in supporting account teams. Having supported client accounts in education and social impact, automotive and mobility, and healthcare and biotech, I’ve learned you can get some of the most valuable feedback by taking advantage of Lambert’s open-door policy and seeking out your teammates for guidance.

As I approach graduation and prepare to embark on a career in public relations, the conclusion of my internship at Lambert is truly bittersweet. I am sincerely grateful for the invaluable lessons this team has provided me personally and professionally over the last 14 weeks. I want to especially thank Megan Lasley, Julia Backus, Joe DiBenedetto, Clare Liening, Brenda Duong, Cierra Mangal, Rachel Felice, Katelyn Davis and Lisa Lark for their wholehearted commitment to providing support, feedback and affirmation to me, undoubtedly shaping the professional confidence and capabilities that I possess today.

I leave this internship confident I have a better understanding of the public relations landscape and know I will achieve far-reaching success as a result of this structured, well-rounded introduction to the profession.