Our paid summer internship scheme offers young people the opportunity to dip their toes into the exciting combination of hospitality, PR and marketing. Our second intern of the summer, Alice Hillary, talks us through what she took from her month here at Custard…
My internship at Custard has been a thrilling and enlightening experience where I have developed my knowledge of the PR and marketing industry. It has also been a valuable experience for my personal growth, learning and connections.
Before stepping into Custard’s workplace, I had worked at several PR agencies and companies, although all this experience was while working remotely. While my prior experience provided valuable insights, the transition to working in a friendly office atmosphere, where I embraced getting to know my colleagues on a more personal level was particularly impactful for me. Being able to discuss concepts face-to-face and share my ideas was also very empowering.
Influencer Management & Press Releases
One of my key takeaways from the internship however was learning about the different approaches across all the clients at Custard. For example, some clients were focusing on boosting their hotel’s visibility by utilising influencers. Learning how to use various social tools to determine suitable influencers for each client was an exciting experience and extremely rewarding in being able to contribute to the overall strategy. I was also tasked with constructing and defining media lists to ensure relevant contacts were placed into targeted lists to be contacted for various opportunities and to receive our latest releases.
Speaking of press releases, I had the opportunity to write several during my month at Custard. I learned the importance of researching the client and target audience and then writing copy that captures their attention and resonates with them. It not only equipped me with the practical skills of writing with the right narrative, something which will be useful when writing university essays, but also emphasised the importance of effective communications skills when trying to capture the attention of journalists and readers.
Putting clients on the map
I also got to grips with the graphic design tool Canva. I really enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of using the app to allow my creative side to develop. This is definitely something I will take into future work practices and a very valuable tool to know how to use when needing to create eye-catching visuals.
I was also tasked with helping the team put their clients on the map – quite literally! I helped to create a UK client map for the Woking office, allowing everyone to easily see where all the various client hotels, venues and restaurants were located. This would then help the team when it came to putting forward clients for location specific media opportunities, as well as helping everyone have a better understanding of the locations of all of the clients. Doing so also helped me to have a deeper understanding of all of Custard’s clients – as well as help improve my geography knowledge of the UK! It’s also nice to know that it’s also one of many different projects I worked on that will then continue to support the team even after I have left.
While I am sad to be leaving the Custard office, I have left feeling confident and excited about what’s next after university. The experience has given me the confidence to tackle any situation and has helped develop my writing and researching skills – something that will be particularly useful when writing my dissertation! The experience of working in an office setting has also eased the daunting transition to the professional world and has reinforced my plans to pursue a career in PR/marketing after leaving university.
Thank you, Custard! I am so grateful for all the memories, lessons, and support, all of which I will carry with me into the future.
