FROM BLOGS TO BARS – MY TWO WEEKS AT HOLYROOD PR

Intern Programme
By Lucy Axford
Holyrood PR in Edinburgh intern Lucy

THIS has been an extremely exciting summer from finishing my first year of Digital media at Robert Gordon University to passing all my modules, moving into a new flat in Aberdeen and starting my first ever part time job.

And before the summer drew to a close I even managed to squeeze in a two week internship at Holyrood PR.

Apart from having to get up at seven in the morning, something that you do gradually get used to,  I really enjoyed the train journey every morning over the forth rail bridge and walking up Leith walk to the Holyrood PR office.

Arriving on my first day I walked in and was shown my desk and before I even had time to get to know the intern bible, I was invited to join the morning team meeting.

This meeting was really useful as it gave me a clear idea about what I was expected to work on. (I was worried I would just spend the entire two weeks sitting at my desk completely clueless.)

I had obviously arrived at a good time because my in my first week I found out I was lucky enough to get to go to two different events!

The first event that I attended was the Blackwood AGM showing off a concept house for people with disabilities. The event was hosted at Dynamic Earth Edinburgh and had a huge turnout.

Blackwood AGM feedback for concept house - Holywood PR media coverage

The concept house was incredible, reminding me of travelling through IKEA and wondering how do they make a couple of temporary mock rooms so nice and homely?

The technology in the house was fantastic, there was everything from bed lights that go off when you lie down to a spoon that doesn’t spill and a washing machine that dries and irons clothes.

I was approached by a member of staff from Blackwood who asked me to sum up the concept house in one word. To me the house looked like something out of a science fiction film so the first thing that came to mind was futuristic.

The second event was the Tigerlily relaunch party on Friday. Some of things I have been asked to do during my internship have surprised me – I certainly did not expect to be wrapping press packs for Tigerlily in little pink ribbons.

I had never been to Tigerlily before so I had no idea what to expect, but it looked incredible. One of my favourite features was the back wall in a comfy seating area that would look more at home in a rainforest than a stylish Hotel.

Relaunched Tigerlily uses hospitality PR in Edinburgh

The event was really busy however the atmosphere was fantastic and it certainly made me want to visit again.

During my time at Holyrood PR I have learned a lot of skills that will be very useful for both university and possibly a future career.

These skills have included learning to use WordPress to upload everything from press releases to photo albums and learning the importance of social media for business.

I used Microsoft Excel, a program I have found out I definitely need more practise in and I used Adobe Photoshop to make coverage look clear and presentable.

I also found out about a useful little add on called Fireshot that is able to take full screenshots of an entire webpage – why didn’t I know about this sooner?

I was surprised to find out about how much Holyrood PR is interested in bloggers. One of my tasks was searching for bloggers in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

I really enjoyed this because I was unaware of the goldmine of quality Scottish bloggers. I thought that most bloggers were tucked away in London or New York, but I was pleasantly surprised and have been inspired to start my own blog.

Holyrood PR in Edinburgh intern Lucy

I would recommend The Holyrood PR internship to anyone who wants to gain a greater understanding of what working in public relations is like.

I have experienced a nine to five job, learnt a variety of different useful tips and tricks and have worked in a great environment.

A Holyrood PR Internship is certainly challenging. I was completely baffled by some tasks but people are always there to help you so don’t worry about making mistakes. Just remember a pen, notepad and the attitude of being prepared to try anything.

Thank you to the entire team of Holyrood PR for providing such an amazing opportunity.

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