By the time I started my journey on the Edelman x 10,000 Black Interns internship, I had just finished my 2nd year studying Economics at the University of East Anglia. Unsure of whether to pursue a career in the financial sector which would have been more in line with my Economics degree, I discovered PR and thought that it would be a great way for me to explore my creative side. I went in with little to no knowledge of the PR & Comms industry, but by the end of my first day, my misconceptions of working in an office were already broken down.
Myth 1 – “Everyone is glued behind their desks”
My expectation of everyone being glued to their desks was debunked by the end of my first day at the Edelman London office. I quickly discovered the reality was that the office offers a very relaxed environment, which makes you feel far more comfortable than if you had to hide behind a corporate shadow and dull your true personality. With Edelman being my first experience of working in an office, my only impression of what it would be like to be in this kind of environment was based off watching The Office, the TV show. I found that people were sociable and open to making new connections. There were also a lot of opportunities to meet like-minded people. I’ve loved having coffee chats and networking during Thursday Turnout, the weekly social. There is a great balance between work life and fun - while everyone is still working hard to complete tasks and meet deadlines, they also recognise the importance of having a social life and making good, valuable connections with other people at the office.
Myth 2 – “PR is just like advertising”
With little knowledge of the PR & Comms industry and what it entails, the first thing that came to mind when I thought of “PR”, was press releases and advertising. But I can see now that PR professionals do more far more than this. I have learned to differentiate PR from advertising and I was surprised to discover how vast the PR industry is. It was interesting gaining insights from teams at Edelman, ranging from financial communications to health communications. I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to explore and learn from the different areas it has to offer. PR is also about the story that you want to tell about your brand. A question we’re encouraged to think often is “how can we tell a powerful story?” You have to think about the compelling story that you want people to eventually pass on through their networks.
Myth 3 – “You just become another number at a large PR firm”
When starting an internship or another junior role at a large company like Edelman, an old misconception is that you will end up becoming “just another number” and under-valued, being used for simple, repetitive tasks like photocopying, making coffees or filing paperwork. While other people’s experiences may differ, throughout my time as an intern at Edelman I can say that I am grateful to have had a hands-on experience of working in PR. I have worked across several different client accounts across the Digital and Technology teams and been trusted to take on a number of different responsibilities. My most enjoyable tasks have been writing captions for a media company which aims to attract people to the US and improve the image of the US to the rest of the world. Also, conducting research for a sustainability campaign for HP. In a large, busy organisation, there’s always going to be some level of admin to do, but for the most part I have enjoyed having the chance to gain true insight of working in this sector and have felt valued overall.
My advice to someone considering a role at Edelman
Get out there! Don’t be afraid to jump on a new opportunity or a chance to learn something new. It sounds cliche but the people you meet or the places you end up in could impact your life in a way that you wouldn’t have expected.
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