Publicity Overload Blog...
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Stephanie Elliot, Work Experience Placement
A week’s experiences of the marketing world
This week, I was undertaking work experience with Publicity Overload. It was a self found placement as I didn’t want to do anything unrelated to what I do in the future, like working in a shop - stacking shelves and whatnot. I knew I definitely wanted to go into Media - but finding a specific industry was difficult. After attempting to find placement in TV, Radio, Film and Music, I had a sudden realisation: advertising, marketing and publicity - and how companies can convince others to buy product and services and advertise and create such high demand for these products. Subsequent to my research, I found Publicity Overload, applied and a few months later I received my placement. 7 months of mentally preparing and I was ready to begin.
 
I’ve experienced almost everything the company has to offer and have had chances to write some stuff of my own.  On my first day, I became familiar with the program Cision and although annoying, I swiftly got the hang of it creating media lists for press releases that were written.
 
On my second day I did research about the Publicity world and how it works. I wrote about 10 interesting PR campaigns and how PR companies can cash in on a viral phenomenon such as ‘The Dress’ or the Jeremy Clarkson incident and this creates a good public image. Following this I wanted to research failed PR campaigns. I also wrote an essay about the importance of PR and why businesses, even small businesses, need PR management.
 
On the third day I went upstairs to the studio and worked with the designers. I recreated one of the previous e-shots for publicity overload and I admit there were a few (minor) differences but it was mostly the same as the original and I was pretty proud of myself. I also helped prepare some images for the designers so they could use them in an upcoming project.
 
I also wrote an e-shot for the publicity overload website and wrote a report about possible improvements for the website by comparing them with other B2B publicity agencies.  
 
I’ve learnt a lot from my time here including people skills to which I confess I had none prior to this.  Anyone with any authority over me I was terrified of for some illogical reason, but as soon as I got here I realised I had to get over this quickly, and I grew in confidence with this as the week went on. I also developed my independence with work; I’d always preferred working on my own but it was nice to apply this to a real working situation.
 
Having a week’s experiences of the working world has been an eye opening experience to prepare me for the working world and the things it might entail. At the end of this I have decided that the Media industry is still something I’d like to pursue and marketing just might be the field I’ll go into.