How NOT to treat an intern.


Hot Tin Roof’s star intern, Hilary Gray, explains why she has found the experience valuable…

I have a confession to make. I am a news junkie.

I have always been fascinated with how the media works and how a story becomes a story. In PR, I found a career where I could put this obsession and my love of language to good use. However, although I was sure it was what I wanted to do, I had no first hand knowledge of how the industry works and what was involved in working in PR. Winning an internship at Hot Tin Roof has allowed me to learn on the job.

Graduating into the biggest recession since the thirties was not part of my career plan. It has meant that internships – a traditional route into PR – have become longer and more common and it is more difficult than ever to find a permanent position.

Hot Tin Roof allowed me to dive straight in at the deep end and I was given real responsibility within minutes of walking in the door. On my first day, I started working on a press release and after selling it in to The Drum and PR Week it appeared in print and online.

Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to practice writing press releases and receive feedback on my writing. I’ve also been able to speak to journalists and, although it was daunting at first, it has really buoyed my confidence.

Since graduation, I’ve immersed myself in the world of digital PR and the skills I’ve picked up have been put to good use at Hot Tin Roof. I helped launch the Twitter profile for the Three Harbours Seafood Festival (@3harbourseafood) and I’ve found online opportunities for clients to provide comment and publicise their brands. I’ve been able to share my knowledge with my new colleagues so we’re learning from each other.

I believe that digital PR is going to be key to the future of the industry and having embraced Twitter wholeheartedly, I am pleased to be one of the co-organisers of this year’s EdTwestival. As the official PR person for the event, I’ll be responsible for media requests as well as finding sponsors and raffle prizes.

I’ve started networking within the Scottish media and have built contacts at several PR firms. I’ve attended the Young Communicator events, run by the CIPR (and sadly discontinued) which enabled me to make contact with others at a similar level from agencies and in-house PR. Tonight I’ll be getting my networking head on again as I’ll be attending the inaugural Twitchicks dinner organised by Victoria Raimes of the Edinburgh Evening News.

Of course, long-term internships aren’t sustainable for anyone and at some point internships need to turn into a permanent job. I recommend trying to get a part-time internship that you can mix with paid work or even a short, weeklong placement. My internship at Hot Tin Roof has been very flexible and I’m pleased to say that it has improved my PR skills. It has allowed me to get my first press hits and helped me stand out from the crowd.

hilaryjanegray@hotmail.com

Hot Tin Roof has been appointed by Three Harbours Arts Festival to raise awareness of its seafood festival, increasing visitors and targeting audiences outside East Lothian.

Despite Scotland’s reputation for world class seafood, Three Harbours Seafood Festival is one of only two seafood festivals in the country.

Launched last year in partnership with the arts festival, Three Harbours Seafood Festival, celebrates delicious, locally sourced seafood and East Lothian’s rich coastal heritage.

The festival will be held at the Greenbelt, Prestonpans, with stalls hosted by local fishmongers, restaurants, wine merchants and organic food suppliers.

The Seafood Festival runs from 28-30 May and kicks off on the Friday night with a good old-fashioned knees up led by the Islanders Ceilidh Band. It also coincides with the fifth birthday celebrations of the arts festival, which runs over 10 days.

After a great start last year, the seafood festival is looking to make the festival bigger and better this year. Visitor numbers exceeded expectations in its first year and Hot Tin Roof’s campaign aims to increase numbers from 3000 to 6500.

Sarah Lee, MD of Hot Tin Roof comments: “This is a wonderful project to be involved in and our challenge will be to build on the local enthusiasm, which has made the festival so successful and draw in visitors from outside the local area.  There is only one other specialist seafood festival in Scotland and our aim is to mark Three Harbours firmly on the calendar of all foodies.”

The campaign will be run both on and offline as Hot Tin Roof works to maximise impact and reach its target audience, targeting national newspapers and magazines and using social media to widen appeal.

Hot Tin Roof has a strong reputation for art as well as food PR having previously worked with The Fringe, the CCA and Museums Galleries Scotland, as well as Centotre, The Living Room, Iris and Eteaket

Adele Conn, founder of the Three Harbours seafood and arts festivals, comments:

“We chose Hot Tin Roof to help us because of their impressive track record in the arts as well as food. But more importantly because of the energy and enthusiasm with they approach their work.  We believe the team at Hot Tin Roof will help us grow Three Harbours into Scotland’s best known seafood festival”.

For more information contact Sarah Lee.

As featured in PR Week and The Drum.

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