Over the past three weeks, we’ve had Hannah Old with us on a work experience placement. Here’s what she thought about her time at LLPR…
As a BA (Hons) Communication and Media student at Bournemouth University, I had the option to take a year out to work in industry, giving me the chance to broaden my skillset and apply my studies to the working world. After spending the majority of my placement year in-house as a Marketing Assistant, I was very keen to learn more about the world of PR and experience agency life before starting my final year of university in September.
From the word go, I was made to feel very welcome by the lovely team and got stuck straight into a range of different tasks. In my first week, one of the first jobs was searching for coverage in the local newspapers. It was really interesting to get to know each individual client and learn how they all differ.
I also got to put my social media skills to good use by putting together a social media plan for Talbot Village Trust. I’ve had a lot of experience in writing colloquially on social media within my previous role and on my own personal blog, so it was great to be able to adapt my writing style to a slightly more formal tone to attract a different audience.
I was also lucky enough to attend a film shoot day with Cat at Humphries Kirk. It was great to get to know more about the client and how they work, as well as witness the creative brainstorms that occur during filming.
I gained some brand new skills through researching the latest advertising rates, but also learning how to calculate AVEs. This involved physically measuring the size of a piece of coverage in order to determine the advertising equivalent of that space. I had never done this previously, so I really appreciated Emily and Caitlin taking time out of their busy day to help me. I also had the opportunity to improve my telephone skills on a number of occasions, one being pitching interview opportunities with Paultons Park to journalists. Having never done this before, I was a little nervous at first, but the positive feedback from the team put me at ease instantly.
Other highlights included creating a marketing calendar of national awareness days and social media trends, drafting a photo caption and blog post about an alpaca visit to Great Oaks care home, writing blog posts for Liz Lean PR’s own blog and drafting my very first press releases for the Dolphin Shopping Centre, Haskins Garden Centres and Knoll House, which has been very beneficial.
With a busy week in the run up to the Peppa Pig World Grand Preview Event at Paultons Park, Holly kindly asked if I would like to extend my placement by one week. I felt so privileged that the team put their trust in me to deliver results and was so pleased to be working with everyone for that little bit longer. From finalising goodie bags and putting together media packs to supporting the team with ongoing tasks, it’s been great to see my hard work recognised and knowing that it helped the event run smoothly.
All in all, I can’t thank Liz and her team enough for allowing me to stay for not two, but three weeks, and providing me with the most worthwhile and enjoyable experience. Also, a very special thanks goes to Alice for supporting me during my time here and making sure I always had a range of tasks to crack on with. Before my time at Liz Lean PR, I was always a little unsure of how PR and Marketing differs, and whilst they are very similar, my experience has definitely allowed me to understand both sides. It’s been a pleasure getting to know and working alongside everyone and if someone said I could stay even longer, I certainly would! I’ll be sure to keep in touch and would definitely be keen to come back for more experience in the future.
PS: the beautiful beach view, fur therapy from Bryher the office dog and the daily dose of biscuits are undoubtedly huge perks. Thanks again, Team Lean!