Like many of my fellow Class of 2017 graduates, the lead up to graduation in July was full of excitement and anticipation. We were all ready for the endless cups of coffee, all those all-nighters in the library and loans upwards of £27k to finally pay off. Not only were we graduating university, an institution we’d poured all our energy, mind and money we haven’t even earned yet into, but we were going to be adults with proper jobs by the end of it all. This is what we expected to happen, anyway.
However, as summer draws to a close, and the graduation hype dies down, many of us are left either with no job or working in jobs we could have done without embarking on that expensive three year higher education adventure we’ve just escaped from. Now don’t get me wrong, I by no means claim to be speaking on behalf of all graduates, perhaps not even the majority, but certainly there is a significant proportion of graduates stepping out of university without having successfully lined up a high-flying graduate job to step directly into. Being in this situation, combined with the endless, “So now what are you going to do with your degree?” questions, from well-meaning friends and family, can leave you feeling worried, uncertain and, above all, a little bit lost.
Luckily, I was able to secure an internship at the PRCA. I finally had a decent response to the dreaded “what next?” questions, I was gaining invaluable industry experience that would stand me a much better chance of securing one of those all-important graduate jobs and at the same time I was earning enough money to sustain myself in London. Now, five weeks into my internship, I’ve had the opportunity to experience working within three different departments at the PRCA. This has not only given me a broad understanding of how the company works as a whole, but has also allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the specific day to day roles within the world of public relations. Moreover, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside individuals with years of expertise tucked up their sleeves who are all too happy to offer any advice or insight into the public relations industry.
Working as an intern at the PRCA opened my eyes to not only the world of public relations, but the world of work. Yes, like many other graduates, I have a CV cluttered with work experience; I’ve done everything from waitressing to tutoring, from being a store assistant to being a care assistant, I considered myself to have a wealth of work experience to set me apart from the flock of other 20-something year olds graduating with me. But it wasn’t until I worked at the PRCA that I realised how little these experiences truly translate into the corporate world of work. My internship at the PRCA hasn’t prepared me for another job, it’s finally set me on a path to a career.
So, if you’re reading this and you’re a recent graduate who is unsure what to do now, or if you’re working but can’t help wondering why you bothered with that degree in the first place, then just go for it! Give an internship a go and see where it takes you.