Landing an internship at Make More Noise was a huge highlight for me in a year that I’m sure many will rush to forget. Hannah Haffield, the agency’s founder, kindly agreed to bring me onto the team, making for a fun, if hectic first month, given I was also working a part-time job in retail. That being said I’ve already acquired some great PR insights and want to share my top three with you below.
Communication is key
Given the coronavirus virus pandemic many of my new colleagues have chosen to work from home which meant I had to discuss, listen and learn via Zoom rather in person. Whilst this initially seemed a daunting task, it actually allowed me to develop my communication skills across email, phone and video conferencing. For example I have learnt to really focus and listen to what someone else is saying. After all, how can you communicate effectively if you don’t know what the other person is trying to convey? Also, I am proud to say that my autonomy and decision making has also improved, as I think more about how I will accomplish a task myself before asking for help. That being said, I can’t wait to get to the office and really experience what it’s like to be part of the team in person!
Keeping an ear to the ground
One of the tasks I enjoy doing is rounding up the news for the team each morning. It’s shown me how important external events can effect a client or industry. For me it means the difference between a piece of PR being a task to finish later in the day, to becoming an immediate priority which must be distributed as soon as possible. The news is also a great way to gain insight into how other brands and companies in your client’s sector are performing, which can be especially important when prioritising your PR objectives.
Not everything clicks straight away
Whilst I’m happy with the progress I’ve made in my time at Make More Noise, it would be wrong not to highlight some of the things that haven’t gone to plan right away. There’s definitely been a lot to learn and take on board and the team has been extremely helpful in giving me guidance, comments and feedback on my work. Regardless, sometimes things just don’t quite go to plan or a skill I’ve acquired needs a little fine tuning. For example I inadvertently missed the mark in tone on a piece I wrote, which made for a slightly dry read! Looking through my colleagues amends made it clear where I had gone wrong. and was therefore extremely valuable in helping me to understand how to stop this from happening again, which has also taught me the value of good, constructive feedback.
Working at Make More Noise has been a pleasure and taught me a lot about the PR industry, working with clients and collaborating within a tight knit team. Whilst I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made and how I’ve fitted into the team, there is always new skills to learn and current skills to develop. I’m excited to take on these challenges and I look forward to becoming a valuable member of the team!