As a 21-year-old Business Management student who still isn’t set on what future career to pursue, a year in the PR and content industry has given me a taste of the ‘real world’ of professional work.
During a jam-packed 12 months at GOLD79, I’ve been given countless opportunities to learn and develop my skills within marketing, media and digital. I’ve been heading up social media accounts and handling award entries, while also supporting our Purpose and Understanding team with new business research.
My personal highlights have included working alongside our PR accounts and collaborating directly with clients, such as gaining coverage in the media for a new product launch and creating social media content by interviewing the public.
I leave GOLD79 with a toolkit of new skills, gained through hands-on experience with both paid and free software tools spanning SEO, data-sourcing, design, image creation, media intelligence, and social media management.
Along the way, I’ve picked up key lessons that have shaped not only how I work, but how I think about communications as a whole. Here are three top tips I’m taking with me from this experience – insights I hope will benefit anyone starting their journey in the world of PR and marketing.
1. Everyone starts somewhere
Go easy on yourself at first. It’s important to remember that an internship is all about learning and gaining experience of a 9-5, five-day working week for the first time. When starting out, you aren’t going to understand everything straight away, and it can take time to adjust to a new setting. Keep persevering with it and you’ll start to see progression. On top of this, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Placement students hear this constantly throughout their training prior to their start date, but it truly is a key point that will smoothen your experience from the start.
2. Organisation is key
Do you ever get the feeling you’re forgetting something, but you just can’t put your finger on what it is? It can be tricky to concentrate in this state of mind. To avoid this, organisation is key. I found it useful to create a system that works for me and have stuck with it to the point where it has become a habit. I use a daily planner, to write down any task that I am required to do, then I rank them by priority. That way, everything that needs actioning is physically in front of you, making it less likely for you to forget something or anything important getting lost in your inbox. Plus, it’s easy to keep up when new work comes in and priorities change.
3. Accept challenging tasks
Some of your most memorable moments occur when you are out of your comfort zone, so try to push yourself every now and then. There’s a balance to be struck between confidence and discomfort, but work can be repetitive at times, so mixing it up helps keep things fresh and interesting. My best example from this year is when I took to the streets of Wigan and Leeds to host interviews with members of the public for a client’s social media page. Going into it, I was nervous, convinced I wouldn’t perform well with a camera in my face, but the sense of achievement afterwards was rewarding, and I’m glad I pushed myself.
Finally, I’d like to thank all at GOLD79 for helping to make this year a truly special one for me.
Everyone has been so helpful and welcoming ever since I first started and this is something that has remained consistent right up until my final day. Worthy of a mention is the brilliant company culture, from team lunches and office socials to picnics and chats in the park, it’s been a crucial element in what has made this year so rewarding for me
From a lost 2nd year Business Management student to a 4th Year with 12 months of experience under his belt, I couldn’t be happier that I chose to do a placement at GOLD79.