AdPR Internship Spotlight: Hannah Thomas

Hannah Thomas is a Public Relations major who interned at Dolce & Gabbana Headquarters in New York City this past summer.

What were your responsibilities at Dolce & Gabbana?

I was responsible for office support including the tracking of all editorial credits as well as corresponding with high-profile editors and directors to put together sample send-outs and receive returns. I also monitored daily brand publicity via national and local sources which I compiled into reports to be sent to Milan daily. My other responsibilities included managing a showroom, allocating and organizing regional press samples, and various other tasks within the realm of promoting the brand and supporting the press office.

What valuable information or skills did you learn at your internship?

This summer at Dolce, I learned the importance of self-presence. I went into the internship with a basic knowledge of working in a fashion PR office and was able to exceed the expectations of my employers. You want to be sure to complete tasks exactly how they are to be done which sometimes takes special instruction, but taking initiative and putting your knowledge an experience to work will be much more appreciated in the long run.

Did anything you have learned in your Public Relations classes aid you in your internship this summer?

What prepared me most for this particular internships was what I learned in previous internships. The knowledge you learn in the classroom is so different from first-hand experience. I found the guest speakers from the workforce most helpful. Hearing about their typical days at the office and the hiring/promotion process with each company helped me to get a better idea of what I do and do not want to do in a career. I am also thankful for the encouragement from Grady to search for and find an internship, or several. I think it is extremely important to have internship experiences because sometimes you can think a job is one thing, but in reality it is totally different than expected. You need to work in the field and experience what we learn and are told in class for yourself before you really know if a particular job is right for you.

What was the best part of your internship experience?

I loved the amount of responsibility I had during this internship. I was working alongside the assistants; carrying out the same tasks as them, working with the same top editors as them and answering questions from younger and less-experienced interns. Everyone at Dolce really welcomed me to their team and trusted me as their own which made me feel like I was needed in order to keep things working. Everyone wants to know they are needed and making a difference, and I personally thrive off that feeling. It makes me want to work even harder and really prove my capabilities which is beneficial for everyone.