An Aussie Intern in London

 

Internships are a great way to gain practical experience in your field of study and learn more about the industry you want to work in. Last year, I was thrilled to secure an internship with Palm, an award-winning public relations agency in London. Not only would this be the first time working in the industry, it also involved me jumping on an A380 and flying across the globe. In this blog, I will share my experience of interning in London, the challenges I faced, and the lessons I learned.

I started planning my internship back in March 2022. There was a long list to work through before I could think about booking my plane ticket, such as renewing my passport, not a quick task after a two-year lock down. Applying for a working visa for the United Kingdom came next, and while waiting for it to be returned, I spent time researching public relations firms in London which aligned with my values and goals. Once my visa was approved, I reached out to these companies hoping my hard work would pay off, and it did. By August, my internship was locked in for November and all I had to do was book my flights and find a place to live. I was beyond excited and knew this internship opportunity was going to be a great learning opportunity for me.

My first week in London

I was living near Leyton, about 10km northeast of central London, and 6km from the Palm office in Shoreditch. I found my accommodation using homestay.com, it was great for finding a temporary home, where I could filter within my budget, dates, and distance to work. It’s also securely managed so I felt comfortable knowing what I would be arriving to.

My first week was internship free, so I used this time to do as much exploring as I could before I started work and doing uni. I explored all different parts of London, painted some pottery, had Magic Falafel in Camden Market, celebrated the Kings birthday, had a cocktail with Marco Pierre White, took selfies with Big Ben and took a day trip down to Brighton. Although I fighting my jetlag, it was a great week and I’m glad I took this time to explore while the weather was still pleasant.

This week also introduced me to the Tube and buses of London. Public transport in London is nothing like I have experienced before, at times I have no words, and others I have only bad things to say, so I won’t say them. What I will share, is that after seven weeks I was glad to turn my back to London’s public transport.

My internship

Palm was one of my top picks for an internship. This was due to their specialisation in food and bev, and hospitality and travel. I have a personal interest specifically in the tourism industry, so they seemed like a good fit. I also looked into their workplace culture and values, and believed they aligned with what I was looking for.  

Working in both the hospitality and brand teams I was taught to prepare press and social coverage for sell backs to clients and reach out to media to pitch new stories. I also demonstrated my ability to collate professional quarterly evaluations for clients, create and post mailers for influencers and conduct research for future campaigns. There were also learning opportunities from indirect experiences; I really enjoyed how the team interacted in planning and working on projects. As such I learnt how they planned and managed events and special clients.

However, some of the biggest challenges I faced was my lack of knowledge surrounding the British popular culture, media outlets, geography, and environments. It was a common occurrence that colleagues would refer to a person or newspaper, and I would have to ask who or what that was. The public relations industry is heavily reliant on a communicators’ understanding of target publics and stakeholders. In this foreign environment, I had none, and I sometimes felt a bit useless. This lack of knowledge meant some tasks would take me longer to complete as I would have to spend more time researching to understand the complete picture. Not to mention the change of my living conditions to a cold London winter, long commutes to work, and the longer workday, I was exhausted and often feeling defeated. Luckily, I was working with a great bunch of people who were patient enough to teach me and help me along the way.

The tasks I completed, and lessons I learnt were a great introduction for me into public relations. However, the most valuable lesson I learnt, was that I enjoyed it. Knowing that the hard work you put in over years to transition into another career you essentially know nothing about was worth it, and that felt good. These seven weeks working in an industry very different to what I am used to, taught me I was capable; that is a lesson which will serve me well as I start looking for full time employment after I graduate.

Beyond the internship

Looking back at my experience, I would have made some changes, such as not travelling there in winter. I was not mentally prepared for how the cold was going to affect me. So, its cold? Great, packed a jacket. But this wasn’t enough. I really struggled to adapt to a proper winter, I have lived in Queensland most of my life, so my winters still involve the occasional beach day. In London, the morning darkness, waiting for the bus while my toes went numb in my boots, the icy air in my nose, my tense shoulders from trying to keep warm, the restrictiveness of jackets, scarfs, beanies, it all just became too much. I truly believe that my experience would have been very different if I was there in a different season, I may have even thought about staying longer.

But the moments I cherished, finding a coffee shop which I liked and visited every morning made me feel like a local. Siting in the front room of my home watching the snow fall with Sharon, my gracious host and now lifelong friend. Ordering uber eats waffles far too often. Just being human and having human experiences where I felt like home.

I am proud of myself for the challenge of doing an internship in another country, and for what I learnt along the way. My next chapter is completing my original research project on ecotourism and finishing my degree in September. Excited for the year ahead.