First taste of a career in PR

Working in PR is a unique opportunity to create engaging digital content, interact with a variety of people and write about things that matter to clients, consumers, and the wider world. As an English Literature Student, I am very keen to put my communication skills, organisation and creativity to good use, and a career in PR seems the perfect place to do so. Therefore, I am so excited to be taking my first steps into the world of Tech PR with a summer internship at XL.

Stepping straight out of my second year at Exeter University and into an office role seemed a daunting prospect at first, but my warm welcome from XL put me at ease straight away. I was greeted by Liam (and a cup of tea, of course) and quickly met the rest of the team, who could not have made me feel more welcome. It is great to be working in an office setting for the first time, and I have enjoyed being in a creative environment, working collaboratively, and of course, having some laughs with the team.

Throughout my first week, I have been introduced to the range of technology clients XL work with. I have already had the chance to be involved in supporting work with clients in the railway industry, imaginative tech startups and innovative software companies. It has been interesting to get insight into the inner mechanisms of PR, and I have learnt so much about the industry simply from chatting to the team about their roles and responsibilities, as well as sitting in on meetings and working on tasks independently.

So far, I have been working closely with Alice across a variety of social media channels, and it has been thought-provoking to find out how different companies utilise their social media presence. Helping to create social plans, come up with content ideas and having creative freedom has been exciting, and I have definitely fostered an interest in the digital side of PR.

Over the next few weeks, I am looking forward to learning more about working in PR, including influencer pitches, drafting press releases, and delving into the world of social media analytics, as well as gaining greater technical knowledge of our clients. No doubt, interning at XL will be invaluable to my future career in PR, and I will come away with vital knowledge, skills, and experience that I can take forward. I hope this will be my first step towards starting an exciting career in the PR industry!

Anna Page