Today marks not only the completion of my first month as a Junior Account Executive at Words + Pixels, but also in the wider industry, and I can firmly say I have learnt a huge amount in the short time I have spent with the agency.

Besides gradually being introduced to all-things PR, I have spent my first month getting to know the team and generally finding my feet in agency life. Here are a few key insights that I wanted to share:

PR is all encompassing
Ask the majority of people what PR actually is and you might be met with an uncertain answer - ‘urm, working with the press?’

Whilst this is of course true, there is so much more to it than that. To begin with, we build strong relationships with our clients and manage their reputation and the coverage they receive throughout a long period of time - the job does not end with just one successful campaign.

PR professionals have a deep understanding of their clients, they know their story back to front and in essence, become an extension of their clients’ team. The best people in public relations will have expert knowledge across multiple fields - their own, their clients, and that of the media. One must have specialist knowledge of publications in order to know how to pitch the perfect story and must also have a thorough understanding of their clients in order to produce authentic storytelling.

At Words + Pixels, the team has a breadth of experience across multiple industries which is reflected in our interesting and diverse client base. We specialise in innovative, disruptive challenger brands - whether that be legal-tech, office catering platforms, or cycling technology.

Never take your eye off the ball
A deep sense of commercial awareness is needed in this industry. The more you know about your client’s trade and how it relates to the current news climate, the easier it is to produce eye-catching stories that will be picked up by mainstream media.

Worldly news is constantly changing and we have to stay alert! 

Organisation is key
Working on a variety of client accounts at any one time is the norm in agency life and so organisation is super important. Checklists and to-do lists are a must! 

The importance of time management becomes even more stark when you have multiple deadlines across several accounts, so don’t be afraid to ask for help from colleagues from time to time. This leads me to my last thought..

Teamwork makes the dream work
Working in small teams across multiple clients means communication across the board is incredibly important. Keeping your colleagues up to speed with what has already been achieved and what still needs to be done is crucial for internal agency flow as well as happy, informed clients.

As a Junior Account Executive, I have been working across a multitude of clients with everyone in the agency. It is with their support (and sometimes patience) that I have been able to learn a great deal about the industry and our clients in such a short amount of time. My tip? Pick your agency well! Whilst it is true that you get as much out as you put in, the amount I have learnt in this time is also down to the time others have given to teach me about the workings of the industry.