What two of the CIPR reps got up to this summer.
Petra Opelova, University of Central Lancashire, BA (Hons) Public Relations
Frank PR
What did you do to impress Frank PR enough for them to take you on board?
I knew my stuff. Since the first year of Uni I dived into unpaid work experience for various companies and worked both in-house and in agencies, online, offline, in teams and on my own. All those jobs have made me realize what I really want to do. I have fallen for the world of social media and technology and got completely lost in it. During my interview at Frank PR, I was lucky enough to be interviewed by a like-minded person who recognised my passion and decided to give me a chance to prove myself, which hopefully I did.
What is it like working at Frank?
Frank PR has its own culture and way of doing things. Frankers are open-minded and non-judgmental, they are also highly professional people who take their work very seriously and won’t tolerate poor performance.
So, what have you been doing with your days?
As a digital intern, I have been given the responsibility to manage social media accounts of various clients and constantly monitor social media activity to track any mentions of various keywords, develop social media calendars and performance reports, put together competitor analysis, social media analysis, and keep on top of what is going on in technology, social media and everything digital in general.
What do you feel you have gained from your placement?
Overall, I have had the time of my life. I have met loads of amazing people, had a chance to work for interesting clients, and improved my self-confidence as a professional. If I didn’t have to leave my comfy seat in the Frank PR office, frankly, I wouldn’t.
Any plans for the future?
Finish the last year of my studies at the University of Central Lancashire while carrying on doing what I’m passionate about: PR and digital. We will see where that takes me.
You can follow Petra on Twitter at @Opelova
Michelle Amos, University of Greenwich, BA (Hons) Public Relations
Media Jems
So where have you been doing your internship?
I did an internship for a month at Media Jems, which is based in Norwich, this was a full time unpaid position.
And what were you doing during your time there?
I was given lots of responsibility as it was a small agency. I wrote press releases, pitches, pitched for new clients, contributed to the Hertfordshire independent magazine (which they edit) I also interviewed main features like Nicky Hamilton Jones. I undertook general admin duties and was trained on many systems used in PR such as 'features exec' and 'year ahead'. I was also account executive for a group of publishing clients and a set of clients from a marketing agency which was very stressful but brought great rewards (writing media plan, coming up with different angles of the clients, sending updates and contact with the clients).
How did you manage to get the placement?
In Norwich there aren’t too many consultancies so I just cold called, got lucky by chance and thereafter had an interview. They have invited me back throughout all of my holidays.
You can follow Michelle Amos on Twitter @Michelle_Amoss
Frank PR
What did you do to impress Frank PR enough for them to take you on board?
I knew my stuff. Since the first year of Uni I dived into unpaid work experience for various companies and worked both in-house and in agencies, online, offline, in teams and on my own. All those jobs have made me realize what I really want to do. I have fallen for the world of social media and technology and got completely lost in it. During my interview at Frank PR, I was lucky enough to be interviewed by a like-minded person who recognised my passion and decided to give me a chance to prove myself, which hopefully I did.
What is it like working at Frank?
Frank PR has its own culture and way of doing things. Frankers are open-minded and non-judgmental, they are also highly professional people who take their work very seriously and won’t tolerate poor performance.
So, what have you been doing with your days?
As a digital intern, I have been given the responsibility to manage social media accounts of various clients and constantly monitor social media activity to track any mentions of various keywords, develop social media calendars and performance reports, put together competitor analysis, social media analysis, and keep on top of what is going on in technology, social media and everything digital in general.
What do you feel you have gained from your placement?
Overall, I have had the time of my life. I have met loads of amazing people, had a chance to work for interesting clients, and improved my self-confidence as a professional. If I didn’t have to leave my comfy seat in the Frank PR office, frankly, I wouldn’t.
Any plans for the future?
Finish the last year of my studies at the University of Central Lancashire while carrying on doing what I’m passionate about: PR and digital. We will see where that takes me.
You can follow Petra on Twitter at @Opelova
Michelle Amos, University of Greenwich, BA (Hons) Public Relations
Media Jems
So where have you been doing your internship?
I did an internship for a month at Media Jems, which is based in Norwich, this was a full time unpaid position.
And what were you doing during your time there?
I was given lots of responsibility as it was a small agency. I wrote press releases, pitches, pitched for new clients, contributed to the Hertfordshire independent magazine (which they edit) I also interviewed main features like Nicky Hamilton Jones. I undertook general admin duties and was trained on many systems used in PR such as 'features exec' and 'year ahead'. I was also account executive for a group of publishing clients and a set of clients from a marketing agency which was very stressful but brought great rewards (writing media plan, coming up with different angles of the clients, sending updates and contact with the clients).
How did you manage to get the placement?
In Norwich there aren’t too many consultancies so I just cold called, got lucky by chance and thereafter had an interview. They have invited me back throughout all of my holidays.
You can follow Michelle Amos on Twitter @Michelle_Amoss
