From university library to Edinburgh PR Agency 

BlogIntern Programme

Daisy Dobson reflects on her first experience of the PR industry

SINCE securing an internship with Edinburgh PR agency Holyrood PR last July, I’ve been reading all the internship blogs and I can’t believe its already time to write my own.

Throughout my time at university studying Spanish and Portuguese, I was unsure as to what career path I was aiming for. In my final year, I realised that my interest in languages stemmed from an overarching interest in the power of language to facilitate communication between individuals and cultures. Naturally, I saw marketing and public relations as an appropriate and fascinating way to channel my interest in communications into a career.

After a year of my masters in International Marketing, it was finally time to get my first taste of the industry with Edinburgh PR agency, Holyrood PR. My first week alone has shown me that this month’s placement will teach me more than I could have ever imagined.

The night before my placement felt like the night before the first day of school – packed lunch prepped, new shoes at the door and in bed before 9pm – nervous but excited. My nerves disappeared when I went into the office and was welcomed by the agency through a series of introductory meetings from different members of the team. 

Canva, WordPress and SEO Optimisation were always daunting requirements in the job specification of all the PR opportunities I’d looked at. I always wondered how anyone could be expected to have these skills as a recent graduate. However even within my first day, I was already underway on these platforms.

I must admit my head hurt a little after my first day with all the new information I had been given! You are trusted with a great deal of responsibility but always have a member of the team nearby to answer questions and guide you in the right direction. 

This week I have learnt some of the fundamentals of PR. I have created success posts for Holyrood PR’s recent coverage on Eureka Solutions, compiled media lists for the charity sector, recorded press cuttings to be used for a client profile analysis and assisted with our social content planning schedule.

Having sat in on a call with a client, I have been challenged to use the information from this interview to draft a blog post for the client’s website. This truly isn’t your average admin-focused, coffee-making internship! 

Over this week, I have very much had to find my ‘PR voice’. I have spent the last 4 years writing essays in concise sentences with a clear structure and so I have really enjoyed the challenge of shifting my writing style towards a more creative, descriptive tone. I must say, researching clients and their backgrounds has also certainly proven to be more enjoyable than all the research I’ve had to do for my two degrees. 

It has also been extremely fascinating witnessing the daily operations of a PR agency that deals with companies from such a wide range of sectors. No task is the same and I have been able to work on sectors ranging from tech to hair and beauty.

Working on such a wide range of clients has been the perfect introduction into the PR world and has stretched my vocabulary while challenging my knowledge of each sector.

If this week is anything to go by, I will be very busy for the next three weeks and can’t wait to see how my skills and knowledge of the PR industry develop throughout this placement.

Read more about Daisy’s experience here:

Where has the time gone?

Are you in need of an Edinburgh PR Agency to jumpstart your career in PR and gain first hand experience?

The Holyrood PR intern programme will offer you the perfect first taste of the PR industry, teaching you the fundamentals of PR. For more information get in touch with our team by filling out the form below or send your CV to info@holyroodpr.co.uk

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