Press Officer Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement. It has been a great experience working in a busy Press Office for a year and no day was ever the same. It is a very friendly Press Office which supports your development in every way possible. There is a great working atmosphere which has been a fantastic place to develop.

I certainly felt valued by my colleagues. Every single member of the Press Office treats you as a usual Press Officer and helps you develop the skills needed for when you graduate from university. I was given the same responsibility and duties as a usual Press Officer which has been great.

My manager was amazing during my placement. I went on a wide variety of training courses which increased my confidence in the job and the role and also helped develop my communication skills and presentation skills. It was daunting at first moving from university to work in such a busy and lively atmosphere but with all of the support and guidance given by management I certainly have developed my skillset.

It has been quite busy in the office. I have been working on a variety of projects from helping with the launch of the Night Tube in August to working on the Holborn escalator trials and helping mind media interviews. TfL is one of the busiest Press Office's in the UK so there are always enquiries coming in from journalists, and also proactive opportunities to promote the brand.

I was given lots of responsibility during my placement and given the opportunity to create my own PR event to promote the Emirates Air Line cable car. I came up with the idea of having a storytelling competition for World Book Day with a famous author as it would be an unforgettable experience for children. Julian Clary was also releasing his sequel children’s book on World Book Day, so he was the ideal author for the event. In the end the event was very positive as the children and parents loved the afternoon and Julian had a great time too.The event received lots of positive coverage in the media and also had over 150 entries into the competition.

My skillset definitely developed during my year working at the TfL Press Office. For instance my communication skills and presentation skills have strengthened from my daily experience in the office. I went on courses for both of these skillsets and have had to utilise these skills when selling in to journalists and also briefing them over stories.The experience I have gained from a year at the TfL press office will be invaluable when I am applying for jobs next year and I have been very grateful for the experience and guidance from all of the fantastic staff in the team.

The general atmosphere in the office is very sociable and very friendly. Everyone is working hard on their tasks but you feel comfortable to ask questions and to reach for guidance if you are feeling confused about the task you have been set. The great atmosphere in the office definitely helped as I settled in to the atmosphere quickly.

The overall placement is set up with two rotations. You will start on the Campaigns desk working on proactive opportunities to promote TfL across London and helping out with a lot of social media. Once you understand more about the company and the brand then you will have an Operational placement where you will deal with more reactive enquiries from journalists.

The firm definitely invest in you. There are plenty of courses that you go on internally and externally to increase your confidence and to increase your skillset for the future. The aim of the internship is to provide you with the skills needed to become a Press Officer afterwards, so I would certainly recommend the scheme.

There is a graduate scheme in Communications which you can apply to if you would like to continue working in Communications for TfL.

There is a week long icebreaker induction to welcome you to the company along with other Graduates and Interns. There is plenty of opportunities to socialise and meet lots of other people in a similar situation to you. It is welcoming to meet lots of people in the same boat who are also new to the company.

It was quite expensive as I was living in London so prices can easily add up. However the free transport helps and can make living in London more manageable. Basic things such as bringing in lunch for work can ensure living in London is affordable.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants in the area for after work as you are in Victoria. You could probably spend the year spending each Friday night in a different bar. London is a thriving city so there is lots of stuff to do and plenty of free exhibitions too.

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in activities after work. The interns and grads have a football team and a netball team if that is something you are into.