While studying in her final year of Multimedia Journalism, Natalie Lord joined our team for two weeks to develop her experience and skills in the industry.

MONDAY 13TH NOVEMBER

During my third year at university it is essential now more than ever that I experience a working environment which I could possibly pursue after I graduate. My Mondays usually start at 10am, with a coffee and morning TV as I enjoy the high life of a student.

I woke up at half 6 and made my way to Faith PR where I started my two weeks of work experience. The morning started with creating a social media schedule to get me eased into the week – something I had never previously done before. It involved research into the client and, after completing one, I continued to create various schedules throughout my placement.

THURSDAY 16TH NOVEMBER

I always wanted to study Multimedia Journalism, however, after nearly two-and-a-half years learning about the career, branching out and discovering more than the four walls of a lecture hall was something I aimed to do. At this stage in the week, I was given the task of making phone calls to journalists to sell-in a press release. This massively built my confidence with regards to knowing what to say as I previously had little professional experience.

I also wrote a press release on Kirklees and Calderdale Charity Lunch selling out tickets for their annual Christmas lunch. This was another task I’d never done before, however, by taking the notes I’d been given and using my journalism experience, I was able to complete the press release.

FRIDAY 17TH NOVEMBER

One of the most enjoyable tasks I was given was writing blog posts as it varied on the style depending on the client and also the topic I was given. I completed my first blog post for a company called Vorwerk and as my first week came to a close, I helped with filming content for Hipperholme Grammar School as they took part in Children in Need. We battled the freezing temperatures to take pictures and film some content and, alongside this, I wrote a website blog about the school’s involvement in the charity.

TUESDAY 21ST NOVEMBER

After over a week of experiencing a broad perspective of what the world of Public Relations is really like, I was ready for the second week with the morning get-ups becoming a little easier.

I returned to Hipperholme Grammar School and shadowed a pupil being interviewed on her sporting success. Arriving back at the office, I continued to write blog posts for various clients alongside making phone calls and doing client research. The tasks given were always varied, which is what I enjoyed most about my time at Faith PR.

FRIDAY 24TH NOVEMBER

My final day consisted of emailing contacts, asking for Forward Features Lists whilst also completing social media schedules. To round off my final afternoon, I joined the team on their monthly lunch together.

The past two weeks have helped me discover more knowledge about PR which will guide my choice of career decisions when applying for jobs in my final year at university.