By Kylan Xie
My time at Madden has been a positive and enriching experience thanks to the incredibly welcoming team and professional learning growth opportunities.
It has deepened my appreciation for the public relations (PR) industry and placed it as a potential career path as I continue my university degree.
As it was my first internship, I didn’t have any clear expectations, I just hoped it would be enjoyable and offer me valuable insights into the world of media and communications. That expectation was exceeded from day one when I met the team and was thrown gently into PR!
Permission to Learn
Coming from a hospitality background, and currently pursuing a degree of Marketing and Screen Production, I didn’t know what to expect entering the corporate world. Madden, being a boutique agency, made the transition very comfortable. The smaller team allowed accessible opportunities for direct, personable interaction and mentorship. I was always encouraged to ask questions and seek help which relaxed my anxious newbie energy! Working across multiple client accounts also accelerated my learning curve and gave me the chance to learn the different areas of PR. Despite the busyness of the office day, I’m grateful for the team at Madden for always allowing me the space to learn and develop at my own pace.
Upskilling Professionally: Media Pitching, News Wraps and Client Comms
I picked up many important practical skills working at Madden that will serve me well in the future. Entering this new world, I was starting from scratch, from developing internal news wraps to drafting media pitches to journalists.
The internal meetings were also incredibly valuable to my understanding of the industry. It helped me understand the scope of work and coordination of roles across the team. The day-to-day workload varies, but you’ll usually be involved in client communication and media monitoring, which includes media audits, updating data for internal use and helping with social captions. Working in this environment upskills you in time management, multitasking and adaptability, which are super useful for general learning development.
Balancing Approachability and Assertiveness
Aside from learning the technical skills of PR, one of the biggest soft skills I’ve picked up from my experience is strong communication, which is so important when servicing multiple clients as a small team. PR is all about connecting with people – clients, journalists or each other, and I watched how the team at Madden navigated those relationships with respect and professionalism.
But what stood out to me was how they balanced approachability with assertiveness. Seeing them navigate client relationships with this persuasiveness is something I strive to emulate, especially as I’ve come to understand how important it is for success in the industry.
Work Hard, Play Hard
Beyond the work itself, what really made my time at Madden enjoyable was the culture. This internship has helped me consider what I value and look for in a work environment, especially the balance of work and team lunches – getting to eat good food is always nice!
I learned that a supportive and collaborative atmosphere is crucial in a positive workplace culture. Working at Madden has also inspired me, seeing women in leadership roles. Being able to coordinate high-level communications and management, all while maintaining an inclusive office culture, has given me high expectations for future workplaces. The positive agency culture, dynamics between the team and consistent drive to better their services speak to their outstanding results as a firm. Working in a cool, high-rise building didn’t hurt either!
Take it One Day at a Time
My advice for future Madden interns is to take one day at a time. Entering a completely new industry can be intimidating at first, but having the incredible team at Madden to help with daily tasks, offer feedback and check in on my progress means help is always close!
Strong interpersonal skills are a plus, especially in media relations, but you’ll also learn many technical skills on the job (and that’s where the real growth happens!).
It’s a unique and encouraging environment where you can see the immediate impact of the work, and you’ll come away from the experience with valuable skills and having had a wonderful time with the Madden team.