By Sara Hayde-Toussaint

My time as a Boston Private Industry Council intern at Issues Management Group this summer was a thoroughly engaging and exploratory experience. Between everyone taking the time to get to know me and sharing so much of their experience and wisdom, this internship taught me so much about what a dedicated team looks like.

My six-week internship was divided into four main sectors: digital media, healthcare, real estate, and public affairs. Each of these focuses was different and provided a snapshot into various elements of IMG’s work.

My digital media-focused week was highlighted by a training on Canva, a graphic design tool that IMG uses to help develop social media posts. I learned how content is designed for social media channels, and then I got to flex my creative muscles by using the tool to create some IMG graphics. Later on in that week, I was introduced to clipping through Critical Mention, the online platform is used for media monitoring and analysis. I learned that these skills are foundational at IMG, because they help to quickly track down coverage of clients and key topics in an ever-evolving media environment. 

Healthcare week was packed with many captivating meetings where the team discussed recent news and trends across the sector, such as the Steward Health Care crisis. During this time, I developed my research skills and learned how to create a strong media list. Media list building is another foundational skill because it helps to ensure that press releases, pitches, and announcements get sent to the correct people at news outlets. The task is particularly important with how quickly staff in newsrooms can change. 

During the real estate week team members spoke with me about preparing communication on behalf of clients, like writing press releases and story pitches for reporters. One of my biggest takeaways from this was the need for balance; although we want to provide as much detail as possible, being concise can improve the chances of getting through to a reporter because of how busy they are every day.

Finally, my public affairs week was eventful in the best way possible. I met with the public affairs team to learn about the Massachusetts legislative process and to hear how IMG supports clients in this space. Later in the week we made the short walk from the IMG office across Boston Common to tour the State House, where I was able to see the Senate Chamber.

The warm and inviting environment here is something I will miss dearly! I remember during my first week being told that everyone at IMG looks out for each other and over the course of those six weeks, that proved to be extremely true. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work here this summer and want to extend my thanks to everyone at IMG for making my time here so memorable.