Over the last 3 months, I have had the pleasure of interning alongside the PR team here at Fifth Ring, Aberdeen. Fifth Ring is a global B2B marketing agency which provides a wide range of specialist services. Therefore, I have not only obtained valuable experience in public relations, but gained a better understanding of the B2B marketing process as a whole.
To sum up my time at Fifth Ring my colleagues in the PR team asked me five questions to summarise my internship.
What is your favourite part of interning with Fifth Ring?
One of my favourite parts has definitely been having the opportunity to work with a large variety of individuals across the company, including our offices across the globe. This has allowed me to gain a strong insight into how each team member contributes to the workings of Fifth Ring, learn new skills and most importantly make connections - all of which will help broaden my horizons. Furthermore, from our daily PR meetings to our global Skype calls, the strong communication within the company has helped me feel involved and settle in as an intern.
What is something surprising you’ve learned?
I knew that marketing and communications consisted of a very fast paced, ever-changing environment - but I never took into account the volume of preparation and planning required to stay ahead of this change. I therefore have learnt the importance of organisation and staying on top of your workload. However, it is equally as important to be prepared for the unexpected as the industry is extremely unpredictable, changing from day to day.
How could you use these skills in the future?
Working in an office environment has already improved my professional and social skills and has started to prepare me for the future. The collaborative working environment that Fifth Ring provides means that I have improved my ability to adapt my working style to each individual scenario as I must take into consideration the opinions of my colleagues and the wants and needs of the client. Additionally, I have gained valuable experience in using industry standard platforms such as Google Analytics and Illustrator - which can not only be applied to the rest of my University studies but also to future employment.
What are your favourite projects you have worked on?
I have had the pleasure of working on a wide variety of both internal and external projects during my time at Fifth Ring. One of my favourite projects consisted of compiling a coverage report for a client, in order to monitor and then present the engagement their latest press release had received. I also enjoyed assisting with a creative calibration project, which involved sourcing various styles of advertising campaigns and creating a document which the clients could then engage with, to encourage them to think about their brand identity and what it is they are looking to achieve through marketing efforts.
What advice would you give future Fifth Ring interns?
My advice would be to take every opportunity provided, learn as much as you can and get involved!
Overall, I am extremely grateful that I was given the chance to work with Fifth Ring and I have thoroughly enjoyed my internship. The skills and knowledge I have acquired during this time and the valuable connections I have made have already started to shape me for my future employment within the PR industry.
