Our first PRCA Apprentice Sam joined us from British Airways, where she was working as cabin crew. While her work at LLPR doesn’t involve *quite* as much travel, she’s continuing to fly high – already adding invaluable support to her colleagues, and bringing incredible team spirit and positivity.
Here at LLPR, we’re thrilled to become an PRCA Apprentice Employer. The scheme is open to applicants of all ages, from school leavers to retrainers, such as Sam. We’re a big believer in transferable skills and talent; while many of our team have PR or journalism degrees under their belts, there’s a whole lot more who have come to a career in PR from a variety of other avenues and career paths.
What we look for in an LLPR team member transcends technical ability. Superb communication skills, solid copywriting ability and creative flair are the building blocks to a great PR. But what makes every one of ‘Team Lean’ special is that they share the values we aspire to as a brand. That’s why we instinctively work so well together:- and that, as they say, is when the magic happens.
Hear from Sam herself, as she tells the story of her first few months at LLPR….
‘Apparently, the pandemic drove 60% of people to make a change in their career and I guess I fall quite firmly into that statistic. At 25 years old I decided to take the plunge and start afresh, joining Liz Lean PR as the agency’s very first PR & Communications Apprentice.
Making such a change can be a daunting experience, but for me I have never felt so confident in a decision. Since graduating from university five years ago, I have been searching for my “dream job” and until now, had no such luck. In my continued search, I had been toying with the idea of taking an online diploma or even a Master’s degree, and then as if by magic, the opportunity to study for a Level 4 Diploma PR Apprenticeship appeared. The beauty of this apprenticeship is I can choose assignments that will directly help me in my professional career; I am learning about the industry and getting industry experience in real time. As the PRCA likes to say, I’m earning and learning!
Like any new job, I was nervous, but everyone has been incredibly welcoming since day one and just as excited as me to be in the office following the pandemic. Whether they are in the office or dialling in via Teams, my colleagues have been on hand to answer my many questions. Within just a few days of induction, it was time for me to get involved. I was so excited to be trusted with some blog writing, PR planning and media monitoring before even starting the official “apprenticeship” side of things.
Settling into the office environment was easy, especially with the beautiful Sandbanks beach on our doorstep! I’ve joined my colleagues for lunch time beach walks and even made use of the office paddle boards – the epitome of a great work-perk!
I really enjoy the variety of work that we do at LLPR, it means every day is different and I’m learning how to become much more adaptable. Understanding how to prioritize my time and manage my workload was one of my first assignments to complete for the apprenticeship – it could not be MORE relevant! I have always considered myself to be an organised person, but since starting my new role I am definitely refining this skill. Priorities are constantly changing (and I love to say yes), so understanding deadlines and task urgency is proving to be key in organising my work.
In my first three months I have joined three virtual classrooms, attended six webinars, completed five assignments, and started a campaign project, all while supporting my account managers with their clients. I am hugely involved in the social media side of our work which I’m really enjoying and now I am starting to write more copy, which is really encouraging. The next 15 months are going to be fast-paced and demanding but also extremely fun. It couldn’t be a better time to join the company either, there are so many exciting plans in the pipeline, and everyone is so driven to achieve great things individually and as a team. I’m finally feeling stimulated and challenged, something that I was eager to find in my dream career.’
Paddleboarding at lunchtime with a team member? Yes please!