Not only is the decade coming to a close, but more importantly, so is my time at Hot Tin Roof.
I’ve spent the last 12 months learning an incredible amount with a fantastic team of people behind me. It was hard to narrow it down, but here are the top five things that my internship at Hot Tin Roof has taught me that I will take into my future career:
Importance of tone
Coming in, I knew a tweet is meant to sound different from the essays that I write for university. However, learning the difference between tones for articles and press releases was a great learning curve for me. Tone is nuanced, and you have to figure it out before putting pen to paper. It’s a habit that I had to practice over and over before it became instinct, but now it’s second nature.
Time management
Working in PR can make anyone a whiz at time management. There are only so many hours in a day, and you have to use them wisely. Figuring out what should be prioritised goes a long way. Sometimes, distributions or new deadlines come up, making organisation and flexibility necessary.
Flexible time management skills are key!
The art of the phone call
Like many Gen Z’s, I don’t love speaking on the phone. However, calling journalists to pitch out stories has become a skill that I’ve honed over the past year.
Now, I’m more likely to sense when a journalist wants me to wrap up and know exactly what to say in order to communicate the story effectively and succinctly. Likewise, I now know when a journalist is keen for me to go into more depth. The conversations I’ve had with some journalists on the phone are definitely within my highlights of the year.
The true value of PR
I knew that PR was important for business, but working at Hot Tin Roof taught me just how impactful it can really be. This year I distributed many press releases, been part of social campaigns and pitched articles. Everything that we have been able to achieve has showed me PR’s tangible results.
Scotland vs. the US
Working at Hot Tin Roof throughout 2019 also taught me plenty of amusing differences between Scotland and the US, where I’m from. From the kirby grip vs. bobby pin debate to seeing the different UK vs. US spellings. It’s fun to notice the differences that makes each place unique.
Everything I’ve learnt during my year at Hot Tin Roof will help me immensely with a future in PR and communications. And not only that, the skills I’ve picked up are also relevant to many different aspects of my life.
I couldn’t have done any of it without the amazing team here. Sarah, Annie, Vickie, Jane, Jasmine, Jen, and Bronagh have all taught me so much and made this past year amazing and one that I will never forget.
