International Publicity Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year. It taught me a great deal about publicity and allowed me to develop important, relevant skills for a career with the entertainment industry after my final year at university. It was a great experience and the whole department/ company were a pleasure to work with.

From when I started my placement, I instantly felt valued and was given responsibility within the team. As the year progressed my role with the team increased and I became more involved in a range of tasks. The feedback I got from my colleagues was always positive and they really valued my input into the department.

Every month, my line manager and I arranged a one-to-one session where we discussed my responsibilities from the previous month. During these meetings I was given feedback on what I did well, where I could improve and the skills I used during the month. We would also put a plan in place for the next month and if I had a particular area I was interested in developing we would focus on that.

Generally, I was busy on a daily basis. My tasks varied significantly depending on what project we were working on. One week I could be organising a press event for a new show, the next I could be collecting coverage from our broadcasters. Even during the quieter times there was always something to do.

I was given a lot of responsibility throughout my placement. When I first started I was responsible for areas that allowed me to learn about how the team operate and each colleague's role within the department. As the placement continued I was introduced to new areas and my responsibilities increased allowing me to learn more and grow in confidence.

The skills I have learnt with be a huge benefit to both my university course and future career. For university, it has given me an in-depth knowledge of the industry which I can apply to my coursework. After university, the skills I have developed will be extremely valuable for jobs within a publicity role or the entertainment industry in general.

The atmosphere in the office was great! There are multiple departments within the office and everyone got on really well. From a socialising perspective, there was always something being organised such as office screenings of new shows and bake-off competitions.

The overall placement set up was very good. The intern scheme has been in place for a number of years so it was very well organised. There were training sessions for the interns to assist us with the placement, which were very useful and helped us in areas such as project planning and how to make the most of the placement.

Having the intern training sessions was great as they gave us the opportunity to gain understanding and learn skills in important areas relevant to the placement. Also, my department funded my IT training course so that I could apply new techniques into the current systems. This was a good experience for me as I learnt a great deal and was allowed to implement my knowledge within the department.

This placement has taught me a great deal about the company and the way they work. Therefore if there was a vacancy in the future, I would be able to bring my existing knowledge and experience to the role. At the moment there is not a scheme in place for returning interns or graduates.

There was a great social scene with both fellow interns and colleagues. Interns had a weekly meet-up which was a great way to get to know the other interns who worked in different departments/companies. With colleagues there was generally an event happening every week with some or all of the office.

I commuted from home which wasn't too bad. Socialising was quite expensive compared to out of London areas. However, as you get paid on the placement it is is affordable.

I worked near Oxford Circus, right in the centre of London and there are plenty of options for going out. There are a variety of pubs, bars and clubs as well as places for bowling, and live music. Generally, as it is central London it can get quite busy but there is a nice atmosphere as well.

Yes, there are a huge number of opportunities outside of work with colleagues and other placement students. As it is London there are always places to go and see such as the theatre, sports venues and music events. There are so many activities and definitely something for everyone.