Student Spotlight - Lindsey Fairless

Interviewed by Lauren Kahn

The hope of many of our graduating seniors has become a reality for Lindsey Fairless. Her internship has turned into a full-time position, account coordinator for PetersGroup Public Relations, located in Austin.

What is your new title and what duties will you have that are different from when you were an intern?

After graduation I will be starting as an account coordinator. As an intern I was in charge of a lot of the background research and such for clients, but now that I have signed on with PetersGroup they have given me the opportunity to actually start coordinating the entire media relations efforts for a new client. That's one of the perks of having an awesome internship, more likely than not, if you have worked hard enough to win a permanent place at the firm, you have also begun to build their trust in your ability to take on bigger and better projects right after graduation.

When were you offered the position? Did you apply for it or were you asked to fill it? What steps did you take in order to land this position?

I was offered the position in late March, but it wasn't just offered to me without me showing the team why I wanted and believed I should be there. I actually presented a surprise presentation in the form of a mock client proposal to the CEO and CSO on why I was the one for the job. They loved seeing that I truly wanted to be there.

What recommendations would you give students currently in internships that would like to move up in the company?

The key is to make sure that when you're not there, they miss you. You have to try and earn their trust and respect quickly, so that they will give you tasks that can't just be dropped or easily handed over upon graduation.

How did being an intern at the company influence both your desire to work there after graduation and the company's desire to keep you on?

I have had an amazing intern experience. Halfway through my internship, I felt as if I was already a full-time team member.  The beauty of staying on at PetersGroup is that I don't have to start at the very bottom of the learning curve. I know the clients, I know the procedures, I know how the team communicates with one another. It's only up from here.