This week I have returned to university for my final year and I’ve gone back into lectures with mixed feelings – excitement that the photo of me in the infamous gown, holding my degree with the caption ‘#proud’ is almost on my grid, but also nerves as I have no doubt this will be the most difficult year so far, writes Sarah-Louise Elton.
About to complete a BA in Journalism, I’m also now into my fifth month of working at Penguin PR, after being offered a position here following some work experience as part of my course.
So, two years into the degree and almost half a year into working within the industry, the question is – do I feel I have learned more on my course or from shadowing the team?
As Penguin PR is a relatively small team, I have had the advantage of an intimate office setting working closely with a creative team, guided by supportive leadership that demonstrates perfectly how to work together to bounce ideas off each other.
It has been really insightful to observe the office collectively construct creative campaigns and innovative strategies to keep their clients at the forefront of the media.
Being slightly older than the average student, I do already have a wealth of work experience, so a typical working day was nothing new to me. But I imagine this isn’t the case with many students who go straight into a position based on their degree from university.
Therefore, working alongside and observing those in the desired field provides a great insight as to what is to come and areas of yourself you may want to reform.
Despite my experience in other fields, being trusted and pushed straight out into the field as a journalist has been daunting, but also very exciting.
I’m not sure if they’re crazy or I should be really flattered that such a reputable company have had enough faith and confidence in me to task me with so many client-facing jobs, but I’m hoping the latter.
When I am at university it is expected that I am learning and still making mistakes, but the expectations change when you are employed to do the job. I just go in each time and give it my best shot and I’m lucky to have every single member of the team support me as much as they can.
While it is evident that I have learned so much from the course such as research and technical skills, writing strategies and the art of spotting a good story, what they can’t teach you from a textbook is the human interaction aspect of the role.
If you search the skills required for a career in PR , communication and the ability to build a professional network are top of the list – credentials that can only be put into practice and strengthened while working in the field.
Additionally, despite the amount of writing assignments I have been assigned, my writing vastly improved when I started producing genuine pieces at work and having an editor provide feedback on them.
You can be taught the basics of a skill or task in a classroom, but as I have learned along the way, when applying those skills to real-life scenarios it can be a completely different picture.
Once, when I attempted to create a video package for a client, I was left feeling disheartened as a few technical hiccups meant it was unachievable. I hear that resilience is another desired skill in this field and going forward I at least hope the same mistakes are not repeated.
There are certainly some positions that rely heavily on academia, for example I don’t think it’s a great idea for a student to shadow a surgeon for a year to then be passed the scalpel and told get on with it.
But in most sectors of employment, when considering work experience versus a qualification, they both have their own advantages and limitations.
Ultimately the combination of education and experience often yields the best results in the job market, which is why I have found it to be advantageous to complete them side-by-side – and why I’m determined to conquer my nerves and complete my final year.
