How can you encapsulate the world of PR in one week? On the surface it seems an impossible task, yet I find myself looking back at my week-long internship with Liberty Comms to write this blog post and being completely at sea when it comes to summing up everything I learned and did. Far from dipping my toe into the pond, I feel like I’ve experienced all the exciting exploration of a coral reef scuba dive.
But forget a week—James and Jasmine from the Liberty UK team faced a much harder prospect when they came to my university to deliver a one-hour ‘Introduction to PR’ workshop. They did their jobs so admirably they won me over, and a couple of months later, having successfully applied to the internship they offered, I was eager to join them once again and meet the rest of the team. Not only was everyone warm and welcoming, but I was buoyed by how glad they seemed to have me there.
From the start of the week, I was assigned a range of tasks that gave me a real overview of PR: carrying out daily news scans, compiling a media list, and drafting social media copy. At first glance, the news scan appeared to be straightforward and self-explanatory, so I felt it even more keenly when I struggled at first, agonisingly aware of my slowness and self-doubt as I fumbled to complete the task.
Yet the true value of this duty was performing it twice daily, so I really got to grips with the process over the course of the week and could see my progress on the learning curve. My difficulties also revealed one of the disguised blessings of remote work in encouraging independence, which also bolstered the growth in my skills and confidence over the week. Using Meltwater also increased my sense of media proficiency.
I love research, so I was delighted with the various avenues for that over the week, from drawing up media lists, contributing to a media share of voice report, and putting together a whitepaper on social media and influencer marketing for PR pros. The latter really stretched and challenged me, but I was also gratified in the level of confidence it showed the team had in me.
Finally, I had the chance to work with the US team on furthering the Liberty Academy programme, which was an unexpected pleasure—and yet another benefit of remote working. It was really fulfilling to pay it forward in a small way and help expand the same initiative which has taught me so much.
I hope to see many more interns come to Liberty Comms and leave as happy and confident as I did.
Ciara Briggs joined Liberty through our Liberty Academy programme, established in 2013 to help students and recent graduates learn more about the PR industry and what an entry level role working in PR is like.
