If you've been following my blog for a while or know me personally you will know that I study media and communications and that I want to go into the journalism/PR/events industry after I graduate. I know I am only in my first year, but I am keen to get the ball rolling, and take the first step on my career ladder.
The past 2 weeks I have undertaken a work experience placement at a PR agency. The agency I am with have a very good reputation and are within the top 150 agencies according to PR week. Whilst I have been here I have witnessed what it takes to be a good PR person, how to impress clients, how to communicate with journalists, and ultimately I now have a better understanding of how media relations works. Also, while I have been here I have witnessed the merging of two agencies. Connect (where I was) have joined with another top agency, Seal Communications. You can read about this on PR week and the Birmingham Post: here and here.
3 Key Things I've Learnt:
1) People will help you and in return you will help them. Interns get a bad name, and a reputation for being the tea makers and when no one wants tea or coffee just sitting about twiddling their thumbs. But the people I have been working with the past 2 weeks were lovely and helpful. I didn't feel like a pain, or like I was in the way and they didn't make me do the tea and coffee all week either, they gave me proper jobs to do and made me feel like part of the team. I think people are often reluctant to complete a work experience placement and they think you get nothing out of it, but from my experience - I disagree. I've got so much out of it.
2) Social media is the key. I use social media every day as do most other people my age, but what a lot of people don't realise is twitter isn't just for you to indirect your ex-boyfriend. It is actually an incredible tool, a way to push out information, gain traffic and gain business. I have spent the whole of my 2 weeks at Connect using social media, I have managed the social media for two of Connect's clients, Persimmon Homes & Charles Church. I have been pushing out special offers from the clients, new homes and new developments in the attempt to gain more 'clicks' to the website and ultimately more traffic/business for them. While I have been here I have also set up the Pinterest pages for both clients something I am proud of and something I was praised for.
3) If you don't ask, you won't get. Whilst I have been here I have met some really interesting people. The majority of the people I have spoken to have a journalistic background, whether they studied it at Uni or worked as reporters/editors on local newspapers and they have all made the transition into PR. I have only found this out through asking questions - something I would urge all interns and students to do. Ask questions about how they got to where they are today, as it ultimately somewhere you want to be, ask for advice, ask for contacts, ask for references, ask for things to do, ask how you are doing, if there is any way you can improve. Ask, ask, ask. If you don't ask, you won't get. If you don't ask, you won't seem interested. I have had such interesting conversations with people this week, people have given me advice and have warned me of certain career pathways and I have a lot of information I can take away from this week and apply to my life.
No comments:
Post a Comment