10th July | Jess Calvert back

You’re guaranteed a warm welcome at R&T

On my first day at Richmond & Towers, I
was full of nerves and anxiety. As a 19-year old American visiting a different
country without her parents for the first time, I was definitely intimidated.
I’m studying English, so my experience in PR has been limited, but I quickly
learned that, in this office, there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Everyone
in the office made themselves available to take questions from me, so my
initial anxieties were eased quickly. I was received with open arms and
eager-to-know-me smiles.

After being in the office for exactly one
hour, I was invited out to a journalist lunch with Chloe and Sally, two
wonderful women who took me under their wings. From there, I was immediately welcomed
by the entire company at the monthly roundup that afternoon.

During my time at R&T, I was nearly
always working on some new endeavor. I scheduled social posts and created
content calendars (for review by the team and client first, of course), put
together media incentives, and researched and compiled lists of influencers for
a multitude of ventures. The team at R&T made sure I was included in every
office adventure and was part of every team meeting and round-up, which just
demonstrates how important their people are to them – even the American intern.
They genuinely valued my voice and opinions, and encouraged me to participate
in as much as possible. R&T added to my confidence through the trust and
comradery they showed me, and I’ve come away with a greater understanding of
the PR industry and my potential place within it.

From karaoke nights to reality TV gossip
during lunch, I’ve made some amazing friendships at R&T. In the same breath,
I’ve been able to brainstorm, create, develop, and take part in so many ventures;
I’ve had the opportunity to tackle projects ranging from conducting my own
photoshoot for Instagram posts to calling magazines and newspapers enquiring
about competition possibilities for clients. In that way, my skill sets and
resume experiences are now so expansive that I truly feel the world is my
oyster.