A PR Girls Beginnings – Part 3 – A Day in the Life…
Posted by PRGirlz Alumni on March 19th, 2009
A Day In the Life…
Okay, so I know the title of this post is “A day in the life”… but honestly each day here can be so different. In PR you have to expect the unexpected. Working on the agency side, you have to do some serious juggling because different clients want different things…usually all at the same time!
But wait, there’s good news! Because before you know it you can go from an inexperienced graduate… to balancing the demands of the job…to showing someone else the ropes!
And with that as a lead-in, here is a quick rundown of some of the things I have done in my first 8 months as a PR Account Coordinator.
Media Monitoring: Something that is a constant in my day. I use things like FPInfomart, Cision and Google News to see if there were mentions of our clients, and sometimes their competitors, in the media.
Media Lists: Another staple in my Account Coordinator life. Oh media lists! Having a running list of targeted journalists, editors and reporters is a necessity for pitching. That said, creating a media list is not the most exciting of tasks, and sometimes they can take a while, but they are definitely important.
Podcast Production: Once a week, I get to do my own little project. I produce a podcast and vidcast for one of our clients. I take an audio or video file, add in music to the right places, edit it, cut out the mistakes, adjust the audio levels and just make it sound great. I then upload it online and enter in all the important information and finally, publish it. I really look forward to this because I get to pop on my headphones and create something, all on my own, from start to finish.
Pitching: Pitching, for those who don’t know, is basically calling up a news publication and (gently) persuading them to run a story on one of our clients. This is something I have mentioned in previous entries and it is something that I have just started to get comfortable with. I don’t do it very often, but when I do, even though it can be nerve-wracking, it can also be very rewarding. It’s a great feeling knowing you were the one who got a client in the paper.
Brainstorming Sessions: I really like these sessions because 1) You get to see how creative and intelligent the people you work with are and 2) You get to contribute ideas of your own to new projects. As an account coordinator, a lot of time is spent working at a computer, so this is a time when you really get to let loose, bond with coworkers and express your opinions….even if you’re the smallest one on the company totem pole!
There are, of course, other things I have gotten to do, like participate in a video shoot and help out with a contest, but generally, the things I mentioned above are what my days usually consist of.
As a student and job-seeker my main goal was to find out what a typical day looked like working at an agency. But the answers I always got were “PR is not a 9-5 job” and “There is no typical day in PR”.
I could not agree more.
I think a lot of people see PR as something that is exciting and non-stop 24/7. It’s not, but really, what is? In the end though, it’s the less exciting periods that help you realize how lucky you are when you do finally get to do the exciting stuff that’s worth writing home (or…just blogging) about. When you win a new client, get a story in the paper, when your event comes to fruition or when that small contribution you made to a project you thought didn’t matter at all gained you so much appreciation from your coworkers, that’s when you know it’s worth it.
March 20th, 2009 » 12:19 pm
Is proofreading a part of your day?
March 20th, 2009 » 1:50 pm
Hi Judi,
Thanks for alerting us, we’ve realized the error and edited it to correct the typo.
I did proofread my entry a number of times… just seems I missed the title!
- Janna
March 20th, 2009 » 2:39 pm
Oh, Janna, how this reminds me of agency life. My brief stint at an agency (4-month work term) was thrilling, light-speed and absolutely terrifying. I can remember as if it were yesterday pitching cooking sauces or counter-top appliances like they were solid gold bars. Of course editors wanted to know all about what I had to tell them! (…well, sometimes they did!)
I completely agree with the statement that every day in an agency is different, and don’t forget the fabulous days that you spend hours making press kits or ordering back copies! Those are always the best. : )
But in all seriousness, the agency life is fabulous. It’s creative, fast-pased, and never dull. Heck, I could argue that I learned more in those four months than I did in four years of school! It sort of makes me want to jump back into the jungle!
March 30th, 2009 » 2:25 am
Awesome entry!
I’m about to enter Seneca’s Corporate Communications program in September and I’ve been hunting for details on what I can expect once I enter the workforce. I know I have a long way to go, but I can’t wait!
April 7th, 2009 » 8:13 pm
It’s so great to learn about some of the things an entry-level PR practitioner can expect to do in an agency!
I will be starting an internship in September after finishing Humber’s PR postgraduate certificate program and one of the most common questions my classmates and I have is about what our roles and responsibilities will be when entering the workforce for the first time.
Thanks for the snapshot!
June 5th, 2009 » 10:13 am
Thanks for the helpful insight!
I was on the fence about whether or not to chose PR as a career path and this entry helped me realize that it will fit just perfectly.
Do you have any advice for college students? How early should I start trying to make my way into an agency?
June 8th, 2009 » 10:27 pm
Hi.
Your entry warmed my heart a little that someone out there is happy in their entry level position. I unfortunately found myself in an internship where I watch my colleagues conduct media relations while they ask me to make them coffee and clean out the fridge. It has been a slightly savage experience walking into an office everyday when I know I am going to face a world of condescending dry comments.
They are mean spirited and unwilling to mentor. The worst thing about it is I have an undergraduate degree from an Ivy league school and a post grad from Humber. I also have experience in the field.
Not only do my colleagues not treat me with little respect, but I feel I am losing my edge and not learning anything. I have been there for a month and they have only let me write two things.
I am happy to pay my dues, but this is getting ridiculous. I believe in team work, not bitch work and these people make me feel so insecure I don’t even want to contribute. I asked one of my colleagues if I could follow them on twitter today and they replied ” no” because then they would not be able to say anything bad about work and proceeded to call me a stupid intern.
Are all agencies like this? I’m starting to think its just me.
Help!
June 10th, 2009 » 11:04 am
Hi Beatrice,
Sorry to hear about your experience. I can safely say that no, not all agencies are like that. In fact, I know of quite a few people who have had great experiences at their agency internships. It’s unfortunate that some are not so lucky. However, here’s my personal advice – in between coffee and the fridge, make sure you listen carefully. Ask questions about why they do things the way they do. Take notes. Do you very best to learn from them anyway. I’m sure it’s hard, but overcoming your insecurities and contributing will make you stronger and a better PR person in the long run when you land a great agency.
-Kerri
June 11th, 2009 » 9:31 am
I really enjoyed this entry, thank you so much for breaking down agency life!
I’m currently a student studying public relations, and have found we’re getting some mixed messages about what agency life is really like. Some professor’s are telling us its the best thing for our career’s. Other’s are saying we may totally hate it and end up doing nothing but media monitoring all day long, or worse mundane administrative tasks. I’m worried and feeling somewhat confused about what is the best thing to do. I want to pursue something that will allow me to get as much exposure to different areas in PR as possible. But don’t want to be running around doing small tasks, where I won’t be utilizing my skills.
It seems based on your ‘day in the life’ that you got to do a lot of the things we’ve been learning about. Do you think what you experienced is common for most people staring out at PR agencies?
Thanks again for your insight!
June 11th, 2009 » 9:18 pm
I was really happy that I found this entry!
I have two months left in the PR postgraduate certificate program at Humber and have started looking at internships. I was fairly certain that I wanted to start at an agency and this entry helped me to be more confident in my decision. We are often told that each day is different when working at an agency but it was nice to see it broken down and explained a little more in depth. It is great to see that an entry-level position would have a hand in important tasks that help out the entire agency. At the end of the day it really does seem rewarding.
Thank you!
June 19th, 2009 » 11:08 am
Sorry I haven’t gotten around to answering everyone’s comments!
Raquel – I started looking for a job or internship several months before graduating college. I wasn’t picky about whether I worked on the agency side or not, but after some research I decided I would prefer to work at an agency. By starting early and doing my research, I ended up getting hired only 1 month after graduation. So I dove into agency life right away. You can start of on the client or the agency side, the choice is really up to you. An internship might be a good place to start, but, really, anytime is a good time to look into working at an agency.
Arika – I can’t say if my experience is common for most people starting out. But I can say that I’m very lucky with my experience and I’m positive that there are those who aren’t as fortunate as I have been. I get challenged almost everyday, I have a great working atmosphere and I really like the people I work with. Unfortunately when you’re in an entry-level job you never know if you’re going to be running a meeting or running to get coffee!