When I got the job as an intern, I assumed I would just be getting everyone’s tea and coffee while maybe picking up a few insights into the PR world, but since I started working at SPEY I’ve learned so much more.

Being an intern can be odd – you’re across all clients but never really dealing with them face-to-face. I’m responsible for a lot of behind the scenes stuff, like media monitoring, liaising with journalists, sending samples away and handling client coverage achieved by the team.

You have to be able to pick up new tasks fairly quickly, while still juggling others you are handling at the same time. It’s your responsibility to have a quick turnaround for the smaller things that others in the agency can’t prioritise. This can seem quite daunting but the benefits of tackling numerous jobs at once allows you to have the chance of improving a multitude of skills like multitasking, organisation, working in a team and most importantly communication.

I’ve found the best way for me to learn as an intern is watching and listening to what everyone else is doing and never being afraid to ask questions . This would also be my key piece of advice to other interns. Even though starting out can seem daunting at first, I’ve gained beneficial insights into the industry by the way the SPEY functions, and how the relationships with clients are maintained through exposure to all the different areas of PR.

The great thing about interning is that I’ve been able to do tasks across the different areas within the agency, meaning I can see where my strengths and weaknesses lie. By shadowing other members of the team I also get to understand multiple ways working on jobs, that lets me decide what works best for me. To be given the shot to try out aspects of PR that interest allows me to keep developing my role as I pick up more responsibilities.

The job description you start with as an intern can totally change by the time you finish up, because of the room you have to grow in between and the more workload you progressively take on. Whether it be 6 weeks or a year, the opportunities and goals you can meet while in the role are paramount.

Some of the most valuable things I’ll take away from my internship is the communication and confidence skills I’ve developed since starting, inside and outside of the workplace. What I’ve learned at SPEY so far has been invaluable and has made me sure that this was the right career path for me.

Interested in finding out more about the Spey Talent programme? See here…