I had the opportunity to job shadow at Borshoff, a full-service public relations firm in downtown Indianapolis. I was able to do this for 10 weeks as part of my Organizational Communication course. During this experience, I gained valuable insight into how a full-service PR agency operates in daily routines. This includes things such as strategy development, client relations and communications, and media execution as a whole. Borshoff provides a wide range of communication and media services to clients across the country, including organizations like the Indianapolis Zoo and Trine University. I was very interested to learn and see how they serve such a diverse variety of clients while not becoming overwhelmed with the different projects occuring all at once.

In addition to learning about the firm’s work, I observed how staff members collaborate, communicate, and maintain strong client relationships in such a fast-paced environment and field. This experience gave me a deeper understanding of workplace communication norms in a working office. While many worked independetly during my observations, I was able to observe different team dynamics and organizational culture within a professional PR setting. Overall, it strengthened my interest in strategic communications and provided a clearer picture of what a career in public relations can look like in a real-world workplace. Experiences like job-shadowing provide valuable experiences that college courses cannot deliver!