My fast-paced first week at Holyrood PR

Venturing into the world of PR with a dynamic, award-winning Edinburgh PR agency

By Ruth Connaughton

THE BEGINNING of my internship at Holyrood PR has been even busier and more exciting than I could have imagined, and I’m already looking forward to the next few weeks.

At uni, I mostly opted for marketing-related courses and loved getting involved in student journalism. So, a career in PR seemed like it could be the perfect fit for me.

While looking into agencies, what struck me about Holyrood PR initially was how diverse its clients are – covering industries from food & drink to property and consulting.

It was also encouraging that despite the disruptions that Covid-19 had caused, Holyrood PR were still thriving and interested in offering internship experience to graduates.

After a friendly chat over Zoom back in May, I was excited at the prospect of spending four weeks working and learning alongside this hardworking team.

The pace of my first few days has been ideal. Everyone in the office has been friendly, welcoming and always approachable whenever I have a question.

Systems like LastPass, Dovico, Kantar and Asana were all brand new to me at the beginning of the week. But thanks to the help of the team I have been able to get to grips with them in no time.

I was also carefully briefed on each task by a team member beforehand, which readied me to get stuck in right away. So far, I’ve been busy writing media releases, creating media lists and carrying out phone interviews.

I definitely did not expect to be given so much responsibility from the get-go, but I am so glad I have.

Working with fascinating clients like Mackie’s of Scotland, Blackwood, Edinburgh First and Paths for All has been invigorating.

A particular highlight for me so far has been interviewing the nominees for the Paths for All Volunteer Awards 2020. Hearing about the value that Holyrood PR’s client has brought to their lives, particularly during lockdown, has been truly rewarding.

I’ve also enjoyed working on a media release for Mackie’s of Scotland. Getting the inside scoop on the “behind-the-scenes” of such a well-known brand is fascinating. Holyrood PR produce work to a very high standard, and so writing the release for Mackie’s gave me the opportunity to practise how to correctly format and structure a professional, effective piece.

This is an excellent example of how valuable my time here will be in preparing me for a future career.

If my first week is anything to go by, then the rest of this month will be incredibly fast-paced and exhilarating. And with the support of the team, I’m feeling ready and excited for all the challenges that lie ahead.