A PR & Advertising Intern

Are you curious about a career in PR and Advertising? If yes an internship is the best place to start and learn on the job. So we caught up with Jill to hear what her days look like what she does on a day-to-day basis and everything else you need to know before getting started. 

Jill: A PR & Advertising Intern

Can you describe a typical day on the job?

I work for a start-up company that sells environmentally-friendly household products.

On a typical day the first thing I do - after my morning coffee of course - is check the orders that came in and pack them all before the courier company comes at 1 pm! Next I would jump in on meetings or check emails that have come through.

Then my primary role would be trying to promote our brand in different ways. That might include reaching out to different online publications or websites or Instagram influencers which involves many back and forth emails with people and negotiating. 

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BE A PR AND MARKETING INTERN WHILE STUDYING? WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOU TO DO SO?

I have to complete an internship as part of my degree so I chose to work for this company because I love how they are really dedicated to saving the environment with their eco-friendly products. It was my way of getting work experience but also doing my tiny part to save the planet. 

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE SOME KEY PERSONALITY ASPECTS OR SKILLS FOR YOUR ROLE?

• Passionate
• Confident
• Hard-working
• Time management

What have you learned about yourself through the work that you do?

I’ve learnt a lot about how damaging single-use plastic is to our environment and how much waste we contribute on a daily basis. By swapping out simple things like hand wash and using bar soap for example we can do our part to reduce waste and that is really important.

What’s been your best moment while doing your work?

The best thing about my job is how different it is every day. Once I spent a whole day creating TikToks for our brand and it was so fun just creating videos with my co-workers and brainstorming new ideas to promote our product. I also love using Canva to make Instagram posts because it allows me to show my creative side.

And a difficult moment?

It can be really stressful sometimes keeping on top of all the work and managing my time efficiently especially as a uni student who still had assignments to do. But at the end of the day it’s really rewarding work.

How do you keep going when things get really tough?

What really helps me is having people to talk to giving myself some time to relax and making sure that I always have time for my hobbies such as reading.

ARE THERE ANY SURPRISING OR ODD THINGS THAT PEOPLE WOULDN’T EXPECT IF THEY PICKED THIS CAREER?

I expected to work at a desk 24/7 but in reality there are a lot of different things every day and the work I do is across various roles - including packaging the orders that get delivered to your door!

What advice would you give to young people thinking of pursuing a career in this industry?

Keep an open mind and say yes to the different opportunities that arise. I never thought a PR internship role would include making TikToks collaborating with influencers and brands and managing the e-commerce store. But if you keep saying yes you never know what good will come out of it!