Recruitment Message: 

Interested in obtaining hands-on experience with public relations that will convince employers that you’re the best candidate for the job?  Looking for first-hand knowledge of how to work with employees of a large, multicultural organization to get their messages heard?  Need to demonstrate solid skills in media market research and analysis?

Boat People SOS is a nonprofit, community-based organization with 28 years of service to Vietnamese-American refugees and immigrants.  With 14 branches around the US, it presents a great opportunity to learn the nuts-and-bolts of public relations from the local to national levels.   

Besides the career development opportunity, this internship represents a chance to make a difference on issues you care about, ranging from domestic violence to human trafficking, women’s health to community development, mental health to senior services.

To carry out this mission, BPSOS seeks a public relations intern to support the public relations and communications manager within the department of the executive director.

Your work on public relations will help raise awareness of opportunities among members of economically vulnerable and easily isolated immigrant communities, so that they gain access to the services they need to survive and prosper.

The specific need you will meet is for better understanding of the media markets surrounding our branches in DC, Houston, Atlanta, Camden, Sacramento, Philadelphia, Adelphi, Louisville, Orange County, Raleigh, Springfield, New Orleans, Bayou La Batre, Biloxi, and St. Louis.  

These offices are developing the ability to reach out to local media and other key organizations, but lack the staff to do a professional analysis with an adequate base of research.  That is where your work as an intern will make an important difference.

You will be involved in the nuts-and-bolts of PR work by researching and analyzing, mostly via Internet but occasionally via phone, the media markets of BPSOS’ 15 branch offices.  That research will, in turn, serve as the basis for others to write and distribute press releases that communicate with communities about the services that BPSOS and other key agencies provide.

The intern’s duties in relation to the PR manager and BPSOS will include the following: 

1)      Creating profiles of media outlets for particular geographic areas using Internet/phone

a.       Editors’ names and areas of responsibility

b.       Reporters’ names and beats

c.       Email, snail mail, fax, phone contact info

d.       Target audience(s)

e.       Key background info, e.g., history, awards, editorial stances

2)      Verifying that information is complete and up-to-date

3)      Identifying key media targets for particular types of BPSOS press releases

4)      Integrating profiles into comprehensive reports for branch office personnel

Hands-on experience with PR and media market analysis desirable, but not required.  More important are good communications skills (written and spoken), an outgoing and easygoing manner, and solid organizational skills.  Written/spoken Vietnamese a plus, but not essential.

Students, grad students, recent grads, and those with greater or lesser workforce experience are encouraged to apply.

Time commitment:

From part-time (4-20 hours per week) to full-time (40 hours per week), for between three and six months, depending on the availability and interest of the intern.

Location:

With enough preparation, many responsibilities could be fulfilled from home or campus.  However, the intern must commit to meeting at least once a week, for up to two hours, with the PR manager at the BPSOS office in order to discuss priorities, go over work, and receive training.  Because PR is a fast-moving field, the intern must also be available at other times (within reason) by phone and email in order to receive fine-tuned supervision.

Additional info: 

This is an unpaid internship. What the intern gets out of working with BPSOS will depend on their eagerness to learn and willingness to invest their energy.

In return for the intern’s commitment and follow-through, the PR manager commits to training them so that they master the following skills over a 3-6 month period: 

1)      How to create comprehensive profiles of media outlets

2)      How to identify key media targets in a particular market

3)      How to analyze overall media markets to meet organizational needs

4)      How to write comprehensive reports integrating data, analysis, and other key information

5)      How to coordinate work within a large, multicultural, nationwide organization 

Besides acquiring the career-building skills listed above, the intern should leave the program with a portfolio of professional-looking analyses for several markets, as well as advice on how to present these new skills in a resume in order to attract employer interest. 

BPSOS will provide gas reimbursement for trips to the office.

Summer internships are closed; please contact us ASAP regarding fall and winter 2008 internships.

To apply:      

All interested applicants should mail a brief cover letter and resume to:

Boat People, SOS Inc

Jon Pattee

Manager, Public Relations and Communications
6066 Leesburg Pike, Suite 100
Falls Church, VA 22041
703-538-2190
703-538-2191 (fax)

Or by e-mail to  jon.pattee@bpsos.org [1] with Media Market Analyst Internship Application in the subject line.