Hello, Leanne here!
It’s been just over a month since I joined the team here at Honest and I can’t believe how fast it’s flown by. Despite the busy schedule and working from home full-time, it’s been great getting to know the team and getting stuck into agency life. It’s already been an invaluable and eye-opening experience, so I want to sum up my experience so far – sharing my thoughts and what I’ve learnt, some of which will hopefully be helpful for anyone looking to establish a career in PR in the future!
For the past four years, I’ve been consumed by university assignments, lectures, and dissertations – completing my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees – so metaphorically rolling up my sleeves and putting all that hard work into practise has turned a long-awaited goal of mine into reality.
After finishing university in the midst of a global pandemic, I knew the world of work wasn’t going to be quite the same as I initially imagined it to be. With strict restrictions in England, it’s meant that for my first month, I’ve been working from home – far from the expectations I had of the everyday commute, office life and, well, normality. Nevertheless, with regular team meetings via webchat and video, it’s felt as though we have another office, in a corner of the internet – so help and friendly conversation have never been far away.
From day one, I’ve been working alongside Holly, Rosie, and Fay on different projects – from creating social media content, to writing press releases and blogs, researching and scheduling – you name it, I’ve done it! It’s been rewarding to see my work being used to help clients build their businesses, and it’s been just as exciting being a part of helping Honest grow too!
It’s been a busy few weeks, with stepping into a new role and having a lot of work to get done – but I soon found a routine that works for me and I get to work with a great team, who are full of help and encouragement, so it’s a win-win! I’ve learnt so much, so I wanted to share a few things that I think are important for anyone looking to work in the PR industry to know.
University isn’t everything, experience is.
Having a certificate that shows you’ve studied a subject is great, but actually gaining practical skills is more important than anything. It can be hard to find these opportunities – especially in the current climate – but perseverance is key and being willing to volunteer your time, even if it’s only for a few hours a week, will stand you in good stead. I applied for so many opportunities during university – many of which I was either unsuccessful with or I never even received a reply – but after many of those defeats, I secured a number of opportunities that I could use to bolster my CV.
Another personal experience of perseverance paying off is the fact that I was in contact with Holly for quite a few months before I officially became a part of the Honest team. We worked together to find ways for me to gain experience, and to showcase my abilities so when a role did come along, I was confidently able to take it on.
It’s also just as important to gain relevant experience, in the areas you think you would like to work in. This will help when looking for opportunities as you’ll be able to match your specific skills to what an employer is looking for – helping you not only fit the bill for a role, but helping you find a company that’s right for you too!
Educate yourself – yes, all the time!
PR is an agile and ever-changing industry, so you need to make sure that you keep up to date with the latest. Read the news, keep up with industry pages – such as PR Daily, PR Week, Campaign and The Drum to name a few – follow relevant social media channels and keep an eye on what’s going on in the world – it might have a huge impact on the industry you work in, or the clients you’re working with.
Bring your words to life
Sure, you need to have good writing skills, but knowing how to bring those words to life makes all the difference. That has been the biggest lesson I’ve learnt during my time at Honest and it’s been vital when producing content for clients – especially because each brand is different, so their voice, style and content needs to be adapted effectively for each of them. Words can be just as powerful as images, so being able to convey the intent of words to an audience, in the right voice, can make all the difference.
Here’s to another great month at Honest!
