If you’d asked me two weeks ago what PR actually meant, I probably would’ve said, “It’s how the public perceives a brand.” I wasn’t completely wrong… but after spending two weeks at Clearbox, I’d definitely give a very different answer.

The biggest thing that’s surprised me is just how much happens behind the scenes before the public sees anything. Every press release, media pitch or campaign starts with conversations, planning, edits and collaboration. I’d never really thought about how much strategy goes into PR until I saw it first-hand. It also gave me a real insight into agency life and how everyone works together, shares ideas and somehow manages multiple clients and projects at once.

One of my favourite parts was learning about press release writing. Before this placement, I thought you simply wrote one version and sent it out. I quickly realised that there’s much more to it than that. From learning how to structure a press release, to regionalising content for different audiences, and understanding how the media and publishing process works – it completely changed the way I think about communications.

Another area I didn’t expect to enjoy so much was crisis communications. Seeing how carefully brands prepare for situations that could affect their reputation showed me that PR isn’t just about creating positive headlines. It’s about staying calm, thinking ahead and knowing how to communicate when things don’t go to plan.

I also loved learning about brand activations and event planning. Like most people, I’d only ever seen the finished product on social media. It was interesting to sit in on meetings discussing a live activation and see all of the commitment and hard work that goes into making these moments happen.

One of my favourite tasks was creating a mock response to a real client brief. It gave me the chance to think creatively, develop campaign ideas and present them as if they were going to a client. It opened my eyes to everything that happens behind the scenes, from budgeting and measuring costs to making sure an idea is realistic as well as creative.

A real highlight was sitting down with Managing Director John Megaughin and Client Director Neil Coleman to hear about their career journeys. It was reassuring to see that there’s no single route into PR and I really appreciated their advice on portfolios, interviews and what makes a candidate stand out.

If there’s one thing I’ll take away from this experience, it’s that PR is so much more than I ever realised. It’s creativity, strategy, teamwork, problem-solving and building relationships all working together behind the scenes.

Finally, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Clearbox for making me feel so welcome over the past few weeks. Every member of the team took the time to answer my questions, share their knowledge and involve me in different projects, which made the experience so valuable. A special thank you goes to Alana McPhillips for taking me under her wing from day one. Thank you for always taking the time to explain things, answer my endless questions and make me feel so welcome throughout the placement. I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience in PR!