spottydog communications is committed to investing in young talent and inspiring them to get a paw in the door. To marry this up with the many requests we get for work experience, we created Insight Week.
The purpose of Insight Week is to give graduates and interested individuals the opportunity to gain real-life experience in a comms agency, learn valuable skills, and explore career options — plus, ask the team any questions.
As many candidates may be juggling university work or a part-time job, we’ve created theoretical and practical tasks that can be accessed at a time that suits them during the day.
Last week, we welcomed Bhuvanesh Mehton to the pack — a recent media and communications graduate from Birmingham City University. Bhuvanesh tells us about his experience of Insight Week…
“I was eager to gain a better understanding of PR and communications; so, when I spotted on LinkedIn that spottydog were running a virtual work experience, I knew I had to apply.
“Set up to be accessible to all, the week gave me a five-day insight into the PR, communications and digital landscape, and helped me gain lots of valuable skills including media relations, social media, influencer relations and campaign planning.
“Keep reading to discover my top three tips on how to maximise the experience:
- Ask lots of questions
“While all the tasks were hypothetical, I was able to get hands-on experience of what a day is like working for some of spottydog’s impressive clients.
“From drafting a press release for MiHub on their Uniform Heroes campaign, to creating a campaign plan for All Bar One, I was given a variety of tasks that helped develop my skills. With every task, I had several questions — and I was able to ask them all, which strengthened my understanding of PR and social.”
- Work in the office if you can
“Getting to spend time in the office was the highlight of my week for several reasons. Firstly, spottydog’s culture is incredibly warm and welcoming; everyone was extremely generous with their time, allowing me to ask each of them about their individual roles within the company and what their responsibilities consist of.
“Secondly, I was able to watch the team in action and witness first-hand how they engage with the media and their specific clients, enabling me to develop my own skills.”
- Seize every opportunity
“During my work-in-office day, Rachel Roberts — the Founder and CEO of spottydog communications — asked me if I wanted to attend a CIPR Midlands event on crisis communications. The event was focused on crisis management and how we, as comms professionals, should prepare and respond in an ethical way.
“I jumped at the chance and attended alongside my mentor for the week, Rachel Carroll. In addition to networking with other professionals within the industry, I listened to four incredible speakers. These were:
- Cara Zachariou, Head of Corporate Communications at Gately
- Caroline Tozer, Head of Corporate Communications at Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service
- Rachel Roberts, Founder & CEO of spottydog communications and President of the CIPR
- Andy Hitchcock, former BBC and ITV news presenter who now specialises in training CEOs, COOs and directors in crisis management
“Each speaker discussed different crises (cyberattack and COVID-19) and outlined how they responded to each event and offered best practice. Rachel spoke about the ethics of crisis communications and I specifically enjoyed hearing her use the phrase ‘human relations’. As, although PR stands for public relations, behind every brand and organisation is people, so it’s important we use our comms to influence and connect with the public on a human level.
“While there might not be events during every Insight Week, it’s important to seize the opportunity if one does come up as it will enable you to enhance your networking skills.”
Are you interested in taking part in our Insight Week? Find out more and apply here: www.spottydogcommunications.com/jobs/insight-week/
