European PR Assistant Review

This year (so far) has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had. It has been great to be able to get to know and work in such a large organisation whilst gaining experience in a friendly and accommodating environment.

There isn't a sense of being 'just an intern' here. You are given responsibility but also guidance by managers and co-workers in order to complete each task but also develop skills you gain from working in such an environment.

My manager was always available to offer support and guidance and also offered opportunities to spend time with the agency to get to know other aspects of PR. I learnt that no question was too 'dumb' and I was never scared to ask about things I wasn't sure of.

There have been weeks where I have been kept busy every second of the day, but there have also been weeks where I haven't had much to do. I felt this was a good balance as it allowed me to catch up on other area's of my development during the year such as keeping a work journal.

From the start I was involved in a lot of different projects but throughout the year I was given more and more responsibility in different aspects of the role.

The skills and training that I have been involved with during my time at Sony are something that I will take back with me to university but also in my future career. From knowing how to talk to different parts of the business in an email to knowing how to use media monitoring tools, everything I have learned at Sony is something that I can take forward with me after this year has ended.

As the company is quite corporate, there is a sense of that in the office, but that is not to say that it is 'boring or dull'. The people are friendly and will talk to you whether you are in their department or not.

During the period of time between being offered the role and starting, there was minimal communication and the recruitment agency, Hays, took quite a while to sort out contracts etc. However, once I was in the role the placement was well organised with a 2 week handover from the previous intern and plenty of guidance.

I felt that the company was interested in giving me the best experience I could have during the year, With opportunities for training and development outside of my business category and being able to attend different events and meetings that have helped me to understand the industry more.

This is definitely a company I would recommend to someone who wants to work in the corporate environment and it seems as though there is real opportunity for career growth throughout different departments.

The 'SPY' programme (Sony Placement Year) involves 30 interns across two different sites. Each site has 15 interns and there was a good atmosphere with all interns, spending time in the 'Fun Room' or in the gym. With colleagues there were also team lunches/dinners etc every now and again for various reasons.

As the office is in Surrey, you could either commute from London or live in the area. It isn't the cheapest area to live in but the wages reflect that and you are perfectly capable of socialising every now and again whilst also saving money.

There wasn't much nightlife in the immediate area but as you are close to London, there is more than enough to choose from there. Also near are university towns in Kingston and Guildford.

There was a few different opportunities to take part in games etc during the summer, for example a rounder tournament organised internally.