Happy Neo Birthday to me: Three things I’ve learned in my first year in PR
I was fresh out of university, a little nervous and a bit excited about what the big wide world had in store for me. On this day a whole year ago, I stepped into the Neo PR office to start my first grown up job! Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun…
So as I celebrate my first Neo birthday, here are a few things I’ve learnt over the past twelve months.
1. It will all be okay in the end
When I was coming towards the end of my degree, the anxiety of finding a job was at an all time high. When it comes to leaving school and sixth form everything is planned and you kind of know what’s going to happen. But post-university it can feel like you’ve been dropped into this huge thing called life and everyone expects you to get on with it. But life has a funny way of working things out. I think everything happens for a reason, and from the moment I came to my interview at Neo, I knew that everything would be alright!
2. Have confidence in your own skills
I spent three years at university writing essays on everything from Shakespeare to Modernist Literature, to my own creative pieces of work. Nowhere in my degree was there a technology PR module! Leaving university and starting work is a huge test of your skills. You might look back and think you’ve learned nothing, but you’re about to learn a whole lot more.
It’s difficult at first, but it’s important to have confidence in the skills you already have. I knew I could write, was good at social media and can write blog posts until the cows come home – so I made sure I adapted those skill sets to fit in my role at Neo. Now, I’ve become the go-to in the office for questions about Twitter and am known for being able to conjure up a blog post on anything from IT maintenance to what PR can learn from speed dating!
3. Stay adaptable
As well as being confident in your existing skill set, it’s important to keep an open mind and stay adaptable in any job you start. The beauty of PR is that it has allowed me to flex and practice a whole range of skills, from copywriting to editing, and press pitching to social media. Some of this I was familiar with, others not so much. Even after a year, I’m still learning so much and can’t wait to see what the next year brings!
Graduating soon and looking for a job? We’re always looking for enthusiastic newbies to join our team! Drop us your CV – prworks@neopr.co.uk
