A work experience diary: part one

Within five minutes of arriving on my first day, I was in front of a client: a tech startup. There was no opportunity to be nervous – the pace is too quick and the work too engaging.

I was quickly welcomed onto the team and encouraged to take initiative. The breadth of what I’ve been doing reflects the breadth of what FieldHouse itself does – that variety means there is space for everyone to carve out their own niche, and to develop their abilities in a meaningful way. For now, I remain a total generalist – getting a little taste of everything, whether it’s a media list, press release, or a social media workshop.

As a history student I was concerned that I might not be the right fit for the world of PR – but my fears were misplaced! Many team members also come from a humanities background and, as I’m slowly discovering, there is something truly exciting about deploying the skills from my degree in a direct and impactful way.

My apprehensions about FieldHouse’s tech focus (did I know enough?) were soon forgotten – there’s a real value in coming from a non-tech background, because the audience that tech firms are trying to reach often tend to come from that same background. It also helps that FieldHouse’s clients are exciting startups who mostly deal with important issues such as sustainability or cybersecurity, both areas that I’m passionate about.

I had expected to be crafting press releases, and building databases of journalists. The experience of actually doing so is greater than the sum of its parts: it’s been fascinating to see how coverage gets produced, how the press is engaged with, and how powerful the effect of thoughtful engagement is.

This has all only been possible because of the team around me – people who are generous with their time, who check in, explain, offer feedback, offer (excellent!) restaurant recommendations for Covent Garden.

Though the office snacks are admittedly a draw, I can’t wait to get back in week two. Bring it on.