Edinburgh PR intern

An invaluable experience at award-winning PR agency

By Christina Polson

MY SUMMER internship at Holyrood PR has flown by and I cannot believe how much I have learnt.

As I mentioned in my first week blog, I did not expect to be completing my summer internship remotely and I am very grateful Holyrood PR has granted me this opportunity.

One of the many perks of life at Holyrood PR is that no two days are the same. This is due to the diverse range of clients and freedom to work on different projects, which makes the job exciting.

Throughout my time at Holyrood PR, I have been tasked with a vast range of challenging and interesting jobs: writing a variety of press releases, uploading content to the Holyrood PR website, learning how to search engine optimise (SEO), creating client coverage graphics, conducting interviews, planning social media posts and an Instagram takeover, researching potential new clients, developing significant media lists of bloggers, influencers, editors and reporters, as well as attending team meetings and brainstorms.

I have learnt how to use different software including Canva, WordPress and DOVICO. Holyrood PR has allowed me to gain, valuable skills and experiences that are essential in the world of PR, which cannot be achieved in a lecture room.

A highlight of my internship has been the work I have done for Mackie’s. I helped draft the press release for its new limited crisp flavour and its new ever-flowing tap flavour in the ice cream parlour. It is rewarding to see the coverage when the press release hits in local, regional, and national news.

I have discovered my love for Canva through creating a range of graphics for posts, allowing me to leverage my creative flare. One of my favourite projects using Canva was creating the visuals to represent the media coverage we generated for Mackie’s new crisp flavour, as I contributed to achieving the wide coverage of that story.

The zoom interview with a journalist from Edinburgh Evening News was exciting as this was a new experience. This allowed me to learn how Holyrood PR creates rapport with reporters, which is crucial in the PR industry.

Another highlight of my time was writing press releases for CALA Homes, where I learnt how thrilling new developments can be. This allowed me to learn the ins-and-outs of writing a press release and enabled me to enhance my skills.

The Holyrood PR team have been amazing at making me feel welcome and communicating with me, even though I am 120 miles away from the Edinburgh office. From the start, I have been trusted with real responsibilities for actual clients. The commitment from everyone at Holyrood PR to help me make the most of my experience was excellent.

Holyrood PR have offered me an eye-opening, educational insight into the wonderful world of PR. I am very grateful for this fantastic experience. I could not have chosen a better company to get my first insight into the dynamic world of PR.