Walking into the office on my first day as an intern at Pagefield, despite having done my research, I had little idea of what it would actually be like to work in an integrated communications consultancy.
But, after four weeks of interning at Pagefield, I can confidently say that I not only know how PR, PA and digital comms work together, but that I’ve also had the amazing experience of being part of an incredible consultancy which has mastered this art. I’m also fortunate that I was able to join Pagefield shortly after the general election, giving me the chance to contribute to an exciting period of business opportunity, brainstorming, and stakeholder mapping.
Here are the top three highlights of my internship experience at Pagefield:
You’re constantly learning
The great thing about the Pagefield internship is that you are trusted to learn on the job. Within my first hour I was given tasks and immediately had to learn how to do simple things (like creating a row on Excel…), as well as more complicated tasks such as using various monitoring tools and databases, including Meltwater and Roxhill.
Since Pagefield is ‘sector agnostic,’ I was able to work on tasks for a range of clients -including industries such as road haulage, heat pumps and hydrogen energy.
I’ve learnt that (when you’re learning) everything can be interesting! Going forward, I shall never look at lorries in the same way again: they are so important!
The office culture
One of the things I was particularly eager to learn on this internship was the dynamics of ‘the office’ and what makes a good company culture.
When I was researching Pagefield, I was struck by a line on their website: ‘We love working here, and we think you will too’. Who doesn’t want to love the place they work? I definitely loved the bagels and almond pastries, the little dogs and bigger ones walking by my feet asking for a pat on the head, and working together on a Friday lunchtime to complete a crossword.
I’ve learnt through observation how to build relationships with colleagues and make work enjoyable – because, simply put, we’re even more productive when we’re happy!
Everyone at Pagefield has a wealth of experience
On the first day while I was settling in, I covertly looked at everyone’s bios on the Pagefield website. I quickly realised I was surrounded by former editors of major newspapers and former parliamentary advisors and assistants.
After speaking to one of the researchers, I was encouraged to send an introductory email to the team and see if anyone was around for a quick chat over a coffee. That was probably was one of the best decisions I made! From then on, I had coffee chats booked with everyone in the team and was able to press these former editors and special parliamentary advisors about their careers and everything they’d learned.
Consequently, the once empty notebook I was given on my first day, is now filled with advice which will serve me well as I start my career in PR.
Thank you Pagefield for jumpstarting my journey into public relations and public affairs. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey as a PR intern (again!) but this time for the Mayor of London. This time I will walk into the office confidently, with my Pagefield notebook alongside me.
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If Antonia’s internship experience sounds like it might be up your street, feel free to share your CV and cover note to talent@pagefield.co.uk to apply for our next round of internship vacancies. If you’re interested in learning more about life working at Pagefield, please visit our Careers page.