Olivia Withnell is studying the BA (Hons) Marketing and Public Relations course at Leeds Business School. Olivia shares her experience and highlights from the course including the work delivered on participation in the ICCO PR World Cup competition and her part-time work at Grayling, which sparked further interest into Public Relations.

Course: BA (Hons) Marketing and Public Relations

Tell us a bit about yourself and why you chose to study your course

I have always had an interest in media that stemmed from my own interests in social media and how much the industry evolves from generation to generation. Although I was originally interested in marketing, I wanted to choose this course in particular as it opened up more opportunities for me to discover what area of the industry I wanted to go into, rather than limiting myself to just marketing.

Can you tell us about your part-time work and how the opportunity came about? 

After finishing my first year of university, I wanted to put everything I had been taught from my course into practice and get real-life experience in the industry. Because of my course giving me opportunities to learn all areas of PR and marketing, I already understood which areas of the industry excited me and from doing research, I knew Grayling was the agency I aimed to work for with its extensive portfolio of clients and opportunities offered. Like many, I was unsure on how to approach a reputable agency such as Grayling, so my first port of call was my lecturers and pastoral officer for support.  From this, the university helped me to structure my CV and cover letter to showcase my employability.

What are the highlights of your work experience and how has it helped you? 

I was extremely excited when I found out that I had been given the opportunity to do work experience at Grayling North. My initial placement was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the everyday responsibilities of a PR practitioner and push myself out of my comfort zone as I tackled creative tasks and group work across several different sectors. From liaising with national journalists to helping creative campaigns come to life for well-known brands, I was able to get a realistic representation of the Public Relations industry and put my studies into practice.

A highlight from working at Grayling is when I first received national coverage for a campaign. The feeling of seeing a campaign from start to finish and having my first published piece of coverage in the Daily Express was unmatched! I was overwhelmed when I was offered a part-time job with Grayling North which I would never have been able to achieve without the help from the university and the ongoing support of the Grayling North team.

How has your course experience helped you whilst working at Grayling? 

My course helped me to get an understanding of the industry as well as have the ability to work to time constraints in a fast-paced environment such as the PR industry. Although nothing can prepare you for the tasks thrown your way in the real world of PR, being able to stay level-headed in times of crisis management and pitching was extremely helpful.

During my time at university, I have had amazing opportunities such as participating in the International Communications Consultancy Organisation’s PR World Cup competition and the Chartered Institute of Marketing ‘The Pitch’ module where I was taught how to create my own pitches for real clients and structure a presentation. From this, I had an enhanced level of confidence when approaching the Grayling North team with my own ideas and creative input, some of which were used in the final campaigns.

What are your hopes for the future? 

Looking ahead, I hope to secure a placement within the PR industry and develop my skillset so that I can return for my final year of university as an experienced PR practitioner. I am lucky to have been offered opportunities at both Leeds Beckett University and Grayling that have helped to shape me as an individual as well as an employee. I highly recommend if anyone has any interest in the industry to apply for this course as without applying to the University, I would not have been offered these endless opportunities.