MY WHIRLWIND SUMMER AT AN EDINBURGH PR AGENCY

The Final Phase of my Internship at an Award-Winning PR Agency

By Hannah Walker

SOMEHOW the end of my four weeks at Holyrood PR has already arrived, and I can’t believe how much I have managed to learn in my time here.

Some tasks have been completely new to me and others have allowed me to enhance my skills every day, as I navigated through the dynamic PR world. Each day has been completely different to the one before, from writing press releases, creating Photoshop montages, visiting clients and conducting interviews – I’ve constantly been learning something new.

The Highlights

A highlight would definitely be having one of my press releases published in newspapers. It was a piece on a Dunfermline volunteer, Betty Morrison, who had been volunteering with Bield for 14 years. I even got a chance to visit Betty with our videographer Seb at Grants Bank – one of Bield’s developments where she worked. Everyone there was so lovely to talk to and had us in constant stiches. Most of all, it was an amazing experience seeing the full journey of her story – starting with her and then written by us, ending up in the papers on my desk. It was a story that I was honoured to tell.

There have been so many other experiences that I am thankful to have had, from a quick trip to the Scottish Parliament to film with the Standards Commission for Scotland (not my usual start to a Monday morning), to speaking to newspaper editors about press releases and conducting interviews with people I’ve never met over the phone. Each experience has been so valuable and my confidence grew with every task completed.

The Team

The team at Holyrood PR have been amazing through it all. They are super friendly and helpful, and their patience is unwavering. I was given constant support and reassurance, and they were never tired of answering my questions. I feel lucky to have spent my summer with such a genuine group of people. They have also been shortlisted for 7 CIPR Awards – completely well-deserved. I will make sure to watch out for their future successes!

The Whole Experience

I think that the opportunity I valued the most while at Holyrood PR was that I was being given the freedom to be creative and use my initiative every step of the way, especially when it came to overcoming different challenges. It really made the achievements feel more special, knowing that I was trusted to solve problems on my own. And I always had the support of the team no matter what. I’ve been given a glimpse into, and began to understand, the PR world and what it truly requires: infinite drive and dedication.

I loved meeting new people, whether it was clients, journalists or the public, and having that opportunity to ask them questions and hear their stories in order to tell them has been such a rewarding feeling.

I couldn’t have found a better place to intern this summer. The amount that I have learnt throughout these four weeks will help me greatly as I go into my final year of university. Holyrood PR has given me real skills and confidence which I can’t wait to apply in the future.