SourceCode Communications Spotlights First Intern: Kelsey Nass reflects on her remote summer internship

I joined SourceCode Communications as a remote intern this summer and quickly discovered that there was rarely a dull moment on the job. One of the best aspects of my internship was that I honestly never felt like an intern. I felt like any other colleague who had a full plate of work with the added support of my coworkers who helped me along the way. Something I will always appreciate is that each week upon checking in with my manager I was asked, “is there anything that you want to try?” This question made me feel like a valuable member of the team with control of my experience. I had the chance to dabble across each sector of the agency and build new skills that you can’t learn in the classroom. Overall my internship was a great opportunity for me to grow and discover what the world of PR was really like. Here are some of the biggest lessons I learned along the way:

What was the biggest surprise from interning in PR?

Securing coverage isn’t an overnight process but rather the work of maintaining key reporter relationships. SourceCode has mastered the practice of keeping good relationships with reporters across a number of different publications, and it was interesting to gain insight into the behind the scenes of what it’s really like to secure coverage. While the waiting game may leave some discouraged, the SourceCode team showed me the art of the follow up and developing reporter friendships. This practice speaks to SourceCode’s mantra about the importance of keeping PR human. 

What was the biggest challenge you faced in your internship? How did you overcome it?

When I first started at SourceCode, I worked part time Monday through Friday. This schedule meant I was missing some internal and client dialogues so I sometimes had to play catch up. So, like most issues in life I needed to have the courage to verbalize this to my team. After one conversation the issue was resolved. I worked with the team to readjust my time where I could work full days three times a week, allowing me to work the same amount of hours but produce better work while also staying more closely looped in. SourceCode wanted me to get the most out of my internship experience and that was clear by how fast and simple this change was made to improve my productivity. 

What is something that you are really proud of accomplishing during your summer internship? 

I had the opportunity to secure coverage! It was a great learning experience and I was involved in the whole process – drafting the pitch, finding the target, pitching out the story and ultimately securing coverage. It was a huge milestone and something I will always remember.

What was one of your most memorable experiences? 

My most memorable experience were the weekly meet and greets with the SourceCode team. These discussions were a chance for me to have individual meetings with every employee across departments and positions where they told me about their background and how they ended up in their career today. They gave me advice for my own path and future of work and I had the opportunity to connect with each person on the team, developing deeper relationships.

What three words would you use to describe your summer internship? 

Creative, educational, flexible (in terms of work, accounts, time)

Describe your SourceCode colleagues 

Supportive, encouraging and motivating 

Describe the culture at SourceCode?

Open (open narratives on everything), light hearted, fun! 

What advice would you give to a future SourceCode intern? 

Always ask questions and put yourself out there! SourceCode is special in the sense that they produce competitive, top tier work but the people don’t make you feel that competitiveness or intimidation. SourceCode is truly one of those places where when they say “no question is a dumb question,” and they really mean it. Your questions are seen as showing curiosity and intellect, never a burden. 

SourceCode was recently named PRWeek’s Outstanding Boutique Agency of the Year and a Top Place to Work in PR by PRNEWS.  Want to learn more about SourceCode Communications or have any questions? Drop us a line at hello@sourcecodecomms.com, we’d love to hear from you.