Name: Emma Sisson
Age: 20
Organisation Description: Liz Male Consulting is a PR and Marketing agency that specialises in the built environment, construction and property sectors.
Date Started the PR Apprenticeship: I started my job on 11 September 2015 and started the apprenticeship on 18 September 2015.
What were you doing before your apprenticeship? I had just finished my A-Levels – I collected my results in August 2015 and started the apprenticeship a few weeks later.
What attracted you to the PR Apprenticeship? The prospect of gaining relevant experience and a recognised qualification without the debt typically associated with university. It was a bonus that I was being paid for it!
What was the highlight of your PR Apprenticeship? The highlight of my apprenticeship was organising an event at the House of Commons back in April 2016.
We were only given a month’s notice and so it was pretty much all hands on deck! We had already been asked to run an event for the same client at another venue in the morning. So the organisation of the additional event was entrusted to me including the organising of invitations, and marketing collateral as well as liaising with the House of Commons on the room layout, catering and equipment needs.
The highlight was when I was given glowing feedback from the chief executive about my own personal performance (he had no idea I was an apprentice until after the event!)
What do you feel your apprenticeship helped you achieve? The apprenticeship has given me a range of opportunities and experiences which I never would have been offered had I gone onto university. It has boosted my self-confidence and has provided me with the professional skills needed for a successful career in PR.
Top 3 skills a PR Apprentice needs:
· Communication skills
· Organisational skills
· Initiative
I love PR because…
No two days are the same. One day I could be writing press releases and selling in to the media. The next I could be organising an event for a client or creating and optimising content for a new website. I love the variety of the job!
CAMPAIGN SPOTLIGHT
Describe a campaign you were involved in and the activities you performed to bring it about:
Each year we support the running of Fire Door Safety Week. This is an annual campaign which aims to raise awareness about the importance of fire doors in saving lives and protecting property.
I was involved in the management of the website, media relations, keeping tabs on the total number of supporters as pledges came flooding in and evaluating the success of the campaign.
Last year’s campaign reached more than 9 million people, resulted in a 35% increase in supporters, achieved 168 pieces of press, TV and radio coverage, more than 2,000 mentions on Twitter, and gained the high-profile backing of many key influencers including the Fire Minister.