Giving PR's Next Generation a Helping Hand

As a team, we’re all hugely committed to supporting talented and passionate individuals gain experience of our beloved industry – which is why we regularly host students from across our local education establishments and provide opportunities for them to find out first-hand just what agency life is like.

Our latest blog comes from Callum Corbett, a Year 12 student currently studying A Levels in English Language, Maths and Computer Science at Thomas Telford School in Shropshire…

“As the broad range in my subject choices might have given away, I wasn’t very sure what I wanted to do later in life when choosing my options! In Year 12 I decided I was interested in business, but was unsure what sector was right for me, so when my school suggested doing a week’s work experience at Zen, I felt it would be a great opportunity to get experience in a range of business skills, as well as exploring the PR sector.

“Throughout the week, the team treated me like one of the family. I always had something to do, and everyone took care in setting my tasks, making sure I was doing a range of activities including researching (from business awards to veganism!), writing blogs, and drafting media releases. I found the tasks fun and engaging to complete, often feeling as if time was flying by due to the interest I had in what I was doing.

“I learnt a lot about PR during my week, including how much of the world around me is the product of a PR team and the different PR strategies (and nightmares) that have affected me without me even knowing it. PR covers much more than I first thought and the week opened my eyes to the huge world of PR and how important it is today. The knowledge and practical experience I gained was invaluable.

“The team regularly provided feedback on the tasks I’d completed and helped me with any questions I had regarding my work and the industry in general. With many members of the team having a wealth of previous industry experience in large, national PR firms, I knew I was in good hands and learnt a lot about working in a PR business.

“Overall, the week at Zen was extremely beneficial in helping me make choices about what I want to do after A Levels, and has inspired me to look further into PR as a potential future career. A huge thank you to everyone for having me, I’d stay another week if I could!”