As a new graduate, I now face the big wide world full of exciting opportunities and the decision of what to do next. Like many students, my degree subject didn’t come with an obvious vocation and it appears my options are endless. On this count, I think myself particularly lucky as it has always been clear to me that my career path lays within the media industry.
Whilst I had previously set my sights on the creativity of advertising, a work experience placement with Turn Key last summer changed my focus. Having been taken under the wing of the TK PR team, Claire and Charlotte opened my eyes to the exciting world of PR and that it can be just as creative and stimulating as advertising – if not more so! The team involved me in many projects, giving me a feel for various aspects of the industry. A public consultation event for Hammerson was a fantastic way to experience press interviews, event management and networking; not to mention how fun and exciting it was to be involved in such a major event! After having my first taste of the industry, I was hooked on the invigorating, busy and rewarding world of PR.
This placement ultimately led me to the decision to pursue a career in PR and the friendly atmosphere of Turn Key drew me back in and I requested a further period of work experience with the team whilst I search for a graduate role. Now back in the Turn Key office I aim to further develop my industry knowledge, understanding and, I’m finding the social media side of PR really interesting.
Social networking has become hugely influential and is now part of day to day routine. We already know that facebook is taking over the world but according to the social networking site, it claims that a third of young women check their profile before even going to the toilet in the morning! Not letting the fact that you are out and about stop you, smart phones now enable us to ‘tweet’ and ‘post’ on the move and as a consequence social networking sites are now widely used as a feature of PR. It gives businesses a way to communicate with people on a personal level in real time. I’m always tempted to tweet Coca Cola on my 3pm Diet Coke break! This is just one of the many things I am discovering with the team, and it has opened my eyes to the PR world and what it entails.
I still have much to learn and understand, but my experience so far has only intensified my desire to pursue a career in this invigorating and ever developing industry – so thank you Turn Key!!