Fast-Paced First Week for PR Intern at Award Winning Edinburgh Agency

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Politics Graduate Adapts to the Exciting World of Public Relations

JAN 2018 Intern Hamish MacleanBy Hamish Maclean

AS A STAUNCH Glaswegian native, moving through to Edinburgh for a month-long internship seemed like the perfect way to embody the ‘New year, new me’ attitude.

Having graduated with a degree in Politics, I turned my attention to a career in communications towards the end of 2017. With it being a popular and competitive industry, I thought an internship with a well-respected agency like Holyrood PR would help give me the edge when looking for a job.

Upon arrival at the office on my first day, I was given a quick tour by Melissa and introduced to the team. Once settled in, I became acquainted with the famous ‘intern bible’, then made a start on sweeping through the day’s newspapers for any stories that could be relevant for the clients.

Half expecting to make a slow start in the office, I was pleasantly surprised to have started writing a press release and scheduling client social media before I’d even had my lunch!

I have always found it a daunting task submitting any piece of written work for fear of missing the brief or having the wrong tone of voice. However, throughout the week, the whole team gave me real confidence in my ability through their constructive criticism and positive feedback.

By the time Friday came around, I had already drafted multiple press releases, produced coverage reports for the Holyrood PR website and drafted a coverage presentation for the CALA homes Waterfront Plaza project.

Additionally, I was given creative tasks for retirement development client The Walled Gardens, such as creating a blog post on upcoming events in St. Andrews, as well as pitching original social media content ideas.

Needless to say, I was glad to get my fingers off the key board and my bum off the office chair when I went out filming at the CALA homes development in Dunbar on the Friday. Intent on learning other skills relevant in the PR industry during internship, I tried to absorb as much as possible while shooting with Craig. In fact, he said that I managed to disassemble his lights and camera rig quicker than Melissa from her time as an intern!

All in all, I’ve had an excellent first week at Holyrood PR. Getting to work on different client accounts every day made it interesting and I genuinely felt like I was contributing something to the company, rather than just earning a line on my CV.

It goes without saying that I massively endorse the Holyrood PR intern programme and cannot speak highly enough of all the staff who work there.

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