A placement year was one of the main reasons why I chose the Public Relations course at Bournemouth University and after starting my year as an intern at The Oracle Group, I can see just how valuable and useful one year’s industry experience can offer.

I have been working at The Oracle Group for the past two months now and no two days are the same. The great thing about this agency is that it not only specialises in Public Relations, but incorporates Social Media, Marketing, Events and Digital strategies as well. Therefore, during my time here I’ve had the chance to get involved with a number of different clients and projects, from event planning and creating social media content right through to drafting press releases and market research.

Monday

Mondays are for preparing for the busy week ahead. When I arrive at the office I start by planning my work schedule and to-do list, organising them by priority tasks. We then sit down for a team ‘to- do list’ meeting with cup of tea, this is a great way to find out what everyone did with their weekends as well as discussing our priorities of the week, who’s in or out of the office and to share any exciting company news. My usual week usually consists of me drafting press releases and blog posts for various clients, scheduling social media posts, researching and pitching feature ideas to journalists.

Tuesday

A typical Tuesday involves me drafting social media posts for a variety of different clients for the week. I find it beneficial to schedule posts in advance for my line manager to approve, as jobs can often quickly pile up! I have particularly enjoyed being involved in the social media and digital marketing aspect whilst working here, a highlight was definitely getting involved with this year’s Shared Ownership Week social media campaign which featured AJ Odudu as the ambassador.

Wednesday

At Oracle we have a features meeting every Wednesday, here we get to present any interesting articles we’ve found from the week and what journalists we can pitch new ideas too. Having weekly team meetings is a great way to refocus, spark new ideas and inspiration from each other.

I spent this Wednesday drafting tweets for the annual ARMA conference on Thursday which I had the opportunity to attend and live tweet for the day! Here at Oracle, we get involved with lots of different events and award ceremonies throughout the year such as the National Housing Awards. Twitter is a great platform to reach out to your intended audiences, letting them know key information, engage with those attending the event and those who can’t make it. Prescheduling tweets was essential to ensure I had all the content needed to be ready to go on the day!

Thursday

I got to attend my first ever property conference – a real insight into the residential leasehold management sector! I had such a great day live tweeting for the ARMA Twitter account and listening to an excellent panel of speakers throughout the day. Conferences are a superb showcase for industry thought leaders to unite, share and discuss the changes and challenges in this rapidly evolving industry.

Friday

After completing all our work for the week, Fridays are for finishing off any last minute tasks we have and sending ‘Friday Flashes’ to all of our clients, which keep them in the loop with all the PR activity completed. At the end of the day, we wind down for the weekend with some Friday Fun, where we discuss our highlights of the week with a glass of bubbles.

 

In the world of PR, experience is key! I’ve learnt so much already whilst working at The Oracle Group as an Intern and would highly recommend an industry year to all students thinking about gaining valuable experience.