By Alice Finney
It wasn’t long ago that I was sitting at a new desk, with an “intern starter pack” in front of me and a peppermint tea in hand to settle my nerves. I began interning with Magenta as my degree at Sussex came to a close and as I moved towards the world of work. With a clear idea of the direction I wished to travel in, interning at a PR agency was the ultimate next step.
Since those days, I have come a long way. I have moved from an intern position to a fully-fledged member of the Magenta team, working closely with both Jo and Esme as a junior account executive. Dipping my toes in everything from writing press releases and articles to running clients’ social media accounts to attending conferences on women at work, I have a fuller picture of what the abbreviation “PR” actually means.
Following my 3-month probation, I was ecstatic to find out that a) I had passed my probation period, and b) that I was to be an account executive! Bye bye junior days; hello more responsibility and more involvement. Everything I have learnt as a junior account executive, including all the little things you learn as a graduate who has never had a “proper” 9-5 job, had come together!
Whilst learning and pushing myself here at Magenta, I think what I have found most valuable is my newfound belief that you can change things, no matter how rigid or static structures seem to be. Inspired by Cathy and the way she works (and lives) and by some of the research I conduct daily concerning the workplace and our environment, I have come to realise that we are all able to push forward ideas and create change. No matter where you come from, a graduate with no PR experience or a CEO who realises that they need to re-evaluate their business, you shouldn’t be afraid to voice your opinion and help things move in a positive direction.
