Whistle PR has one of the most passionate, creative, and personable teams I’ve ever seen in a workplace. Its culture was infectious to me, and I know I will be trying to emulate its example in my future career.
Their success really is in its people, and it’s not surprising why my BCU lecturer listed Whistle PR in their top 5 places for work experience in my Public Relations Masters. The small team reflects the creative balance a PR agency needs from the wacky to sensible, from the bold to the conservative, Whistle PR had it all in my opinion and I would strongly encourage anyone to consider Whistle for employment and representation.
On my first day at Whistle PR I had no idea what to expect but in hindsight that made it all the better. During the bus ride to the office on my first day I remember being cautiously optimistic and nervous that my lack of sleep from the night before would come off as an absence of interest or enthusiasm for my work placement. Even to the point that I walked 15 minutes down the road to get a McDonalds breakfast to wake up before walking in. My fears were immediately debunked when meeting the Business Support Manager Claire and Account Executive Robyn whose bright and cheerful demeanour instantly put me at ease and showed me my new desk for the next 2 weeks.
After a brief virtual introduction to the rest of the team I was excited to dive into some tasks and start my journey into the world of PR. Thanks to the movies, I was under the impression that agency work would be competitive, and that a sense of tension was prominent in the environment but whilst doing my first blog post for a housing developer I learnt quickly it’s a collaborative effort.
My first week consisted of writing blogs and press releases, audits and, a social media content plan (creating feelings of a true tech entrepreneur I must say), I even had the chance to sit in on some real client meetings as well as the opportunity to develop my very own pitch. In the beautiful chaos my schedule rarely ran accordingly, but that was fine as spontaneous opportunities such as observing how new business proposals are constructed and learning how to adopt new media relations into campaigns kept things fresh and relevant.
Being my first ‘office’ job, the nerves returned slightly when meeting the Managing Director Sarah for the first time in person as once again, the movies had taught me that the boss is too busy to be concerned with questions from the work experience guy. However, that view disappeared upon meeting Sarah as she was genuinely interested in me, my history and how I wanted to use my time at Whistle PR. With my first week coming to a close I felt more confident in my abilities and reassured that I had the skills needed to pursue a career in PR.
During my second week I got to experience more press releases, a news jacking piece, and a particular PR passion; Crises (I promise it’s not a weird thing). Learning how to be compassionate in negative situations and understanding the client’s needs in a time of crisis was deeply valuable to me and my learning. After a chat with Account Director Amy about where I wanted to take my career as well as some useful tips to consider when choosing between inhouse and agency, I finished my placement pitching my new business proposal that would help launch a product in a new market with a sustainability focus.
My time at Whistle PR has been one of the highlights of my masters not just as part of a module but in terms of my professional development too, so if you want a team that listens, exciting client briefs and a lovely supply of Robinsons squash give this agency a Whistle.
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Connor Jones is a postgraduate student at Birmingham City University, studying MA Public Relations and joined Whistle PR for a two week work placement in May 2022. Whistle PR offers a range of integrated communications services including strategic consultancy, PR, social media and internal communications. For further information email info@whistlepr.co.uk or contact us here.
