As a journalism student entering work experience at Magenta, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t even thought about working in PR until I started my course last year. But after two weeks here, I can definitely see it as a potential career path.
Here are my five top takeaways:
PR work takes as much creative energy as journalism.
The tasks the team set me have been incredibly varied. Every time, I’ve been creatively challenged on topics I had no prior knowledge of before coming here. Being tasked to research or write on everything from artificial intelligence to how we dress at work, for example, I understood very quickly that PR work takes as much, if not more, creative energy than that of a journalist.
Everyone needs a writer.
Working in PR for the past two weeks has made me realise that the power of the written word is needed in every industry. Helping on a number of Magenta accounts has forced me into uncharted territories and completely out of my comfort zone. It was a challenge, but a welcomed one.
A creative, varied workspace makes a difference:
As Magenta does a lot of work in facility management, I have to mention how productive yet chilled out the office is. With a silent pod and a chill space, comfortable sofas and a TV, this isn’t what I envisioned to be like while growing up, but I’m glad I was wrong. My two weeks here have been spent in a productive and relaxed environment, proving that spending all day in an office doesn’t have to be boring and monotonous.
Phone calls aren’t that bad:
As a slight sufferer of phone anxiety, a takeaway from my time here at Magenta is that communicating on the phone is a completely unique skill – and one, it turns out, that I’m not actually completely terrible at. Although I only did some minor research tasks over the phone, it was certainly a new experience. I just have to work on improving my phone voice now!
PR is the glue.
Working within the industry over the past two weeks has shown me how integral PR is to so many businesses, events and functions. From internet promotion to blog posts, I have a newfound respect for what PR brings to the table. Creating and maintaining a strong public image is paramount for any business or event and without PR bringing it together, all the pieces could very well fall.
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