Take the leap, send the email. What Molly has learned from working in PR

What is it about the awkward phase after graduating from university that makes you begin to question your entire existence? You’ve had years of independence only to find yourself back in your childhood bedroom, writes Molly Young .

Not only did I find myself newly graduated, armed with a degree and a load of life skills, not to mention a mountain of student debt, but my plans for a hot girl summer travelling the globe were put on hold thanks to a knee injury.

I had always planned on going travelling as soon as I finished university, to get rid of the itch before settling into a ‘big girl’ job. But, a torn ACL had other plans.

So, not only was I experiencing uncertainty about my future but now I really had lost a lot of my independence, along with the use of my left leg. My travel plans were pushed back and it was time to look for a job.

I reached out to Penguin PR back in September, after contemplating sending an email numerous times but always assuming that it might go unnoticed in an inbox flooded with enquiries.

I explained to Sarah and Simon that my travel plans were still on the cards for the end of the year and they gave me the chance to gain some agency experience in the meantime. It turned out that the team needed an extra penguin and I soon became a PR executive!

To say I was buzzing is an understatement, I had spent the summer stressing about my next step until taking that initiative led to the perfect opportunity. 

Looking back, I wish I had sent that email sooner. I have learnt so much in my few months at Penguin PR and met the kindest, most talented people who have made a big impact on my PR journey.

When you're stuck in that space between graduating and figuring out what's next, reach out and search for opportunities. Even if you’re terrified of hitting 'send.' What’s the worst that can happen? (This rule does not apply to texting an ex. That, you should never send.)

Having studied PR at university, I had, in theory, spent years learning about press releases and media lists, but it wasn’t until recently that I truly understood the purpose of PR.

I had only ever experienced working in-house so entering an agency environment was new to me. Working across clients with unique target audiences means that every day is different, always meeting people and learning about industries, topics, titles, and so on. I would highly recommend agency culture to any media students who aren’t sure what their preferred industry may be.

It’s now been three months since I started working at Penguin PR and I have loved it, so much so that I sometimes ask myself why I’m giving this up to move to the other side of the world. On January 8 I’ll be jetting off to Southeast Asia and then over to Australia with my best friend and a backpack.

During my time as a PR executive, I discovered how to tell other people’s stories and get them heard in the media. In doing so, I’ve had the chance to interview people, which was initially super daunting. The people pleaser in me hates the idea of making other people feel uncomfortable. Well, news flash, everyone likes speaking about themselves.

Stop worrying so much about how you’re perceived, find out what makes someone tick and you’re pretty much good to go. It’s important to push past self-doubt when reaching out to others, especially in a dynamic industry like PR.

At a community party for care-leavers, I was tasked with finding an interesting story from an attendee who had left the care system. I wrote about how the initiative gives young people hope and helps those battling loneliness, and when this story later made local news headlines, I got a huge sense of fulfillment that it would inspire others to get involved in community events. The power of PR!

I have learnt how award nominations can elevate reputations, after watching clients be nominated and even win! Another part of my role involved developing coverage reports and experimenting with media monitoring services to calculate estimated earned media value.

PR analytics aren’t like marketing, you can’t easily calculate ROI from campaign results. Glossy print coverage and online articles look great, but proving how this can positively impact a brand is a different story.

The power of photos is perhaps one of the biggest lessons I’ve acquired. As a Gen Z, avid Instagram user, who ‘takes photos of everything’ (according to my mother), I considered myself quite the photographer.

Yet I still had to learn the hard way that, when capturing a photo to accompany a press release, your picture needs to tell a story. It’s no good trying to fit everyone into the frame if that means the star of the show is hidden.

Speaking of great photographs, my final few weeks included a surprise helicopter ride to interview the UK’s youngest female helicopter pilot. This resulted in fantastic images of 17-year-old Olivia Thompson whose success story has since been featured in local news outlets and is also set to appear on the radio!

If I could round off my experience with one piece of advice, I would encourage anyone to take the leap, don't sit around waiting for opportunities to arise – go and grab them. While qualifications are important, hands-on experience is often what sets candidates apart.

PR is multifaceted and gaining experience is incredibly valuable. Taking on different tasks at Penguin PR has broadened my skill set and helped me understand the full scope of the industry.

Reaching out, even when it feels daunting, can lead to invaluable opportunities, personal growth, and professional development. Get out there, ask questions and seek opportunities.

I question whether taking a gap year is the right decision for my career, but then I remind myself of how this will benefit my future. I’m hoping to learn about the world and people from all walks of life, plus I’m sure I’ll also ‘find myself’ along the way as every backpacker seems to do.

If you think about it, I’ll be networking my way around hostels, essentially interviewing new people I meet, my writing will improve from the letters I send back home and my social media skills will be used when sharing details of my adventures. If that’s the case, then consider my comms skills levelled up entirely. Whatever happens, I’m going to soak up all the life experience I can get.

Public relations is about building relationships with the right people and I’m so grateful to have done exactly that at Penguin PR. Thank you so much to Sarah, Simon, Lucy, Sarah-Louise and Kirsty for taking me under your wing. I wonder if I’ll ever get sick of the penguin puns?

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