By Jessica Bryant
What is your background?
I am a Politics and Sociology student at the University of Surrey. My longstanding interest in politics has been further enriched by my studies at university. Through PLMR, I’ve had the opportunity to gain firsthand experience in the fields of PR and public affairs.
Why did you choose to do work experience at PLMR?
I believed that working with the diverse teams at PLMR would provide me with invaluable knowledge that can only be gained from a company deeply engaged in multiple sectors.
What have you learnt during your time here?
During my time at PLMR, I’ve truly learned what it means to be confident and independent in my work while being part of a team managing an account. My understanding of the inner workings of PR and public affairs has significantly evolved, as I never fully appreciated the amount of effort that goes into securing press coverage or inviting MPs to attend an event. This experience has given me a new and unique appreciation for the work that happens behind the scenes.
What have you enjoyed most?
I believe I enjoyed working on a GCSE results press coverage report the most, as the sense of satisfaction upon completing it was immense. It gave me a new appreciation for all the effort involved in school results day, particularly in publicising the great results achieved by students! I was able to compile all this hard work into a single document that was important to both the schools and the education team at PLMR.
What does a career in communications mean to you?
I have learnt that a career in communications means the ability to manage time and multitask within the workdays whist simultaneously keeping up with current events and legislation that happens 24 hours a day. It also means understanding client demands and being able to respond and deliver what they want accordingly to their expectations. It involves working as part of a team where everyone shares the same end goal but contributes in different ways to achieve it.
Did anything surprise you?
I was surprised by how consultants were able to manage several client programmes simultaneously. It was truly impressive to see so many people possess such broad and deep knowledge on various topics and seamlessly switch from one account to another at a moment’s notice.
On a personal level, I was also pleasantly surprised by the level of work I was entrusted to complete. None of the tasks I was assigned ever felt pointless or insignificant, as I was always thoroughly briefed on how they contributed to the bigger picture of what was happening at PLMR.
