As the end of my second year at University came to a close there was one thing on everyone’s mind, getting work experience. Having been reminded all year about the value of gaining as much as possible before you graduate, and with my last year looming ever closer I was extremely keen to make sure that I wouldn’t be left behind without some.

Currently studying Psychology, I became interested in areas of business that would best suit this degree. Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing all popped into my mind but it was always PR that enticed me the most. Despite this I must admit that on gaining this opportunity to work for Clareville I did not have a full understanding of what Public Relations actually entailed, with my main confusion being the difference between that and advertising.

Having worked as a waitress most holidays, it was really refreshing to have a feel for what it will be like working in an office. I was working for the BabyVille sector of Clareville and thus immersed into the world of baby carriers, cots and car seats. I learnt a broad range of skills and was given the chance to practice the real tasks from day one, such as creating Infographics, pitching features and helping put together coverage books for clients to take to their shows. I think a common misconception people have of work experience is that all it will involve is a lot of photocopying and making tea, which really isn’t the case.

I think overall what struck me most was the importance of really knowing your target audience and being able to tailor your approach depending on what you are covering, which I believe are both very important skills within themselves. Having never been much of a Twitter user myself, I never fully understood just how much of an impact 140 characters can have for the brand you are representing.

Overall I found PR to be a really interesting, dynamic industry where there is constantly something to do, and far from a dead end office job. With this experience under my belt I feel better equipped for taking the plunge into the working world and look forward to what is in store.