As a student currently studying Business Studies, Computer Science, and Economics at A Level, I'm still thinking about which path to take. However, one area that has always interested me is marketing, especially the creative side of things like brand identity, advertising, public relations, and events.
When the time came for me to choose my week-long work experience placement, I had a handful of options.
My school had connections with a few agencies but I decided to apply to Spring PR, a smaller company that I thought might be a bit more hands on. Stephanie asked me some questions about my time in the office and here are my thoughts.
We are flattered you chose Spring PR. Why us?
I picked Spring PR for a few reasons. First, I really liked the look of your website; it has a clean, modern design. But what convinced me was that you were a smaller company. I feel more comfortable in smaller settings, and I thought it would be less intimidating. Also, when I spotted Hydro Flask is one of your clients, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about how you worked with well-known brands.
What were you expecting?
To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I knew I’d be helping with different parts of PR and marketing and I was right. I did help with a variety of tasks. During my week, I helped with finding media coverage, creating social media posts, organising office displays, and helping to send back products to clients that had been at their recent LDN Pop Up event. Oh, and I wrote this blog too.
What did you enjoy the most?
Out of everything, I think my favourite task was finding coverage. It was a challenge, but in a fun way. I got to look through different websites, search for articles, and find media mentions that featured Spring's clients. It felt like I was really contributing to the team, and I enjoyed being useful.
What have you learned?
I definitely learned a lot! Marketing may look easy from the outside, but it’s a lot more challenging than I thought! For example, creating social media posts that are short but that get the point across took more time than I expected. I had to really think about how I said stuff and choose the right pictures to make the post work. One of the biggest takeaways for me was that public relations require a lot of attention to detail.
What 5 tips would you give to fellow work experiencers?
- Read your emails! You may not be used to reading emails all the time, but make sure you stay on top of them once you’ve reached out to your company. Companies do a lot of emailing.
- Prepare for the day: It’s worth getting in touch before you start to ask about how the day’s going to go, what to wear and what’s going to be expected of you. It’ll make your first day easier and you can do it with an email if you don't want to talk on the phone.
- Ask questions: Don’t be afraid to ask stuff if you’re not sure about something. It shows that you’re paying attention.
- Stay focused: It’s easy to get distracted, but I didn’t play a single game during my week at Spring! Instead, I focused on the tasks at hand and made sure I was doing what I was meant to be doing.
- Do your research: Get to know the company before you arrive. It’ll help you understand the work environment.
Final thoughts: did you enjoy it? (we hope so!)
Yes! I really enjoyed my time at Spring PR. I learned a lot about the world of PR, and you gave me hands-on experience that has only made me want to get into it more. I appreciated your friendly team and the chance to get involved in a range of tasks. Thank you!
It was a pleasure Callum! We enjoyed having you with us too. Good luck with whatever career path you choose, and don't forget to drop us a line every now and then, we'd love to find out how you get on.