They say that one person’s trash is another’s treasure. For me, trying to find meaning from hundreds of rows of seemingly random numbers in an Excel spreadsheet is treasure.
I joined Blakeney in April this year, after graduating from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a master’s in social and cultural psychology. I became particularly interested in political psychology during my master’s, thinking about how politicians and other leaders in society communicate their thinking and how their ideas spread and evolve through public discourse.
While academia seemed the obvious career path, I was more interested in exploring how I could apply my experience in psychology and behavioural science to the business world. When the opportunity arose to join Blakeney’s Research and Insights team, I jumped at the chance!
As Blakeney’s first ‘hybrid’ intern, it was exciting to join the company as it began expanding the use of research and insights in strategy development. From the start, I have been involved in day-to-day activity on client accounts. I have learned to use new tools for media and social media analytics, and helped identify insights and recommendations for clients’ brand development. I have also enjoyed being introduced to the wider world of corporate communications and PR by my expert colleagues.
My internship was originally intended to last until the autumn, but it was brought to an early finish during the summer with my promotion to full-time Assistant Account Executive. Having had no prior experience of working in communications or PR, for me, this promotion reaffirmed Blakeney’s dedication to my personal development.
I’ve learned so much in the short time I’ve been at Blakeney. The support I’ve received from colleagues at all levels of seniority has been a massive boost to my personal growth. I feel very fortunate to be working alongside such a friendly and sociable team so early in my career. From helping to organise after-work socials, to taking part in team days and sharing homemade cakes in weekly team coffee breaks, I have quickly been made to feel part of the team.
Since kick-starting my career in comms on the internship programme earlier this year, I have already progressed much further than I had hoped. At Blakeney I feel that I have found my place, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.