Latest Holyrood PR Intern, Emma Lourie, gives us the lowdown of what to expect at an award winning Edinburgh PR agency

By Emma Lourie

I HAVE always wondered just how hectic the PR industry could be, and reality did not take long to settle with a manic and fast-paced experience in my first week at an Edinburgh based PR agency.

After spending the last three years studying Public Relations, Marketing and Events Management at Queen Margaret University, I knew that I was increasingly enjoying the public relations aspect of my course and decided that, if possible, I would attempt to secure a summer internship at an Edinburgh PR agency. As the vast majority of my knowledge of the public relations industry was what I had read or learned from my lecturer, I wanted to step away from the books and start to learn what the industry is really like.

Having worked at the CIPR Awards in 2016, I noticed one organisation being continuously nominated and winning awards. From that evening, I knew where I wanted to start my enquiries into gaining practical experience.

Of course, that organisation was Edinburgh PR agency, Holyrood PR.

Walking to the office on my first Monday morning was a daunting and nerve-racking experience, as I didn’t know what to expect. I thought I would be thrown in the deep end of the PR world and would struggle to keep myself afloat. Thankfully, that was not the case. As I entered the office, I was greeted with friendly faces and several ‘Mornings!’ The friendly approach immediately put my nerves at ease.

As I was introduced to the team, shown to my desk and logged in, I was handed my first task of the day – a newspaper sweep, which soon became a morning ritual.

On my first day, I joined Cat and Seb on a visit to the Scottish Parliament to film for the Standard’s Commission for Scotland. As far as first days go, I have to say it has been a stand out. After experiencing the volume of background work which goes into filming, it has made me realise the level of attention to detail required to make sure all specifications are covered.

Looking back on my first week with Holyrood PR, I can’t believe how varied the tasks and clients have been. By the time Friday came around, I had completed an assortment of tasks – for example, writing press releases and media coverage reports for Bield, I created montages for CALA Homes and searched for social media influencers for Leonardo Hotels. The scale and variety of clients at first is daunting, but it is also what has kept me so interested every day. In the morning I may be writing about one of CALA’s new developments and by the afternoon I’m writing about skin care for Dermal Clinic. The diversity of Holyrood PR’s client base is impressive!

One of my biggest challenges of the week was learning how to navigate Photoshop. With so many different features and aspects to remember, I thought I would never be able to do it myself. With a lot of fiddling around – and a few hours later – my first montage was complete!

As the week progressed, I was given the task of planning Dermal Clinic and Eagle Couriers social media schedules for the upcoming week. This was an exciting task as I already had an interest in social media and how clients utilised it to communicate with their audiences.

Before my internship with Holyrood PR I didn’t understand the importance of SEO. Following my first upload onto the website, I quickly realised gaining an understanding of SEO was going to be fundamental in furthering my career. With guidance from the rest of the team, a lot of trial and error, and a few upload’s later, it started to become second nature.

Handing my first piece of work to one of the PR professionals was a dreaded moment, but one I will always now be grateful for. Receiving feedback on my work has been one of the most valuable aspects of the internship so far.

My main learning experiences of this week have been to always ask questions, get feedback and persevere with all tasks.

Or, if none of the above, consult “the intern bible”!

The experience I have now gained is invaluable and I cannot wait to see what the rest of my internship will entail.

Do you want to gain PR experience in an award winning Edinburgh PR agency?

Reach out to a member of the team through the contact form below and we’ll be in touch