Here in Dubai

Hello...I must first apologise for not blogging sooner I was waiting for my first month to be finished here in Dubai before I blogged again...a month had been and gone and I came to blog about my time here so far and found that everything was in Arabic....and I have only just got someone to change it to English.

So my first month in Dubai:

I flew from London Heathrow on October 4th, a said my farewells to friends and family
:( emotional...

Once I arrived in Dubai I had a few days to un-pack, get things ready for my first day of work and of course a few days to relax and enjoy myself by the pool :)


On my first day I arrived for an introduction talk, shown around the building which was newly built...complete with a table tennis table, table football and some cool chill out rooms.


There are two PR teams consumer and corporate that made up of over 25 people, a marketing team and a creative team is also present in the offices along with accounting.

The PR agency works for another company who handle luxury lifestyle in the Middle Eastand have done for over 55 years. So brands that the PR agency where I will be working  will include top designers, beauty ranges and gifts.


My first month was a busy one, I was paired up with one of the consumer PR girls where I was thrown in the deep end (as I was warned) she had two big events coming up, one was a new store opening for Hackett in Dubai Mall, the other was an event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first Paul Smith store opening in the UAE. Both the events had the designers flying in to Dubai and would be present for the events and interviews.




So this month, I had an insight and input into the events:

• Inviting the media and guests to the events
• Learning the processes of planning events
• Knowing the key media
• Knowing how to budget
• How cost sheets work
• Securing coverage in magazines before the event
• Ensuring the magazines have interview questions ready and that they are checked by the client
• Catering processes and contacts
• Venue selection
• Learning about the Arabic media/magazines
• Learning about the company and brands

The list really does go on I have learnt so much by being involved in events which will help me for the next months events...


Working with fashion brands means press samples are sent out so I have had to not only send the very expensive clothes out, but also do the media monitoring in magazines for all the brands to ensure we are getting coverage and most importantly ensuring that the samples come back!!


Press Releases
What PR job wouldn't include a few press releases....of course I have written a few press releases this month both pre- and post event releases. These are then sent out to all the publications, newspapers, online, magazines etc and used which we then monitor using a database and media monitoring team.




E-shots
These are reminders for the press about upcoming events, celebrities in a brand/clothing or new collections; these are sent out weekly via email and include a picture and a small paragraph...I have sent alot of these out to press followed by images or press releases the next few weeks....another way of creating awareness that I didn't even think of before...




Perks of the job...


Not only is being in Dubai amazing but the job has a few perks as well...


People- I have met alot of lovely people this month and have had the honor in meeting some of the worlds best designers


Events- Not only great coverage for the brand, its a good day out and I got o meet a lot of the journalists


Food tasting- Its our job in PR to check what the food is like for events


Venues- I get to visit some of the most luxurious and most expensive hotels and venues in Dubai


Limo- I managed to get a free limo ride home with my colleague after an event


Clothes- Clothes clothes clothes.....for any girl that loves clothes and shopping... this job is amazing!!




My first month of this placement has already taught me so much about PR, I already feel that I have improved and its only the first few weeks into the placement. It has also reminded me of why I wanted to do PR in the first place, not only am I enjoying myself and making friends along the way, I am learning how to be a PR professional.


I will be back soon enough to tell you what else I have been up to :)


Happy blogging




Hannah

16 days to go...

So only 16 days to go until my first day in Dubai. Each day I have different feelings towards going over there, some times I'm nervous and think to myself what if I really don't like it what will I do? Then the other times I'm so excited and can't wait to get over there.

So at the moment I'm trying to get my head around being organised and making sure that I have all I need for over there and things are sorted at this side for when I leave and return. Next weekend is my last here in the UK so I know it will be a busy and emotional one with family and friends :(


Tutor Visit

Yesterday I had my first tutor visit, I spoke to my tutor about what I had been doing and showed him the work I had done which I had printed beforehand. My tutor was impressed with what I had accomplished in the 3 months I had been here. I explained that the Heart team here in Exeter had made me feel very welcome and were always there to help me. I spoke to my tutor for about an hour and a half, then it was my supervisor's turn to talk to my tutor.

So I left my supervisor and tutor to talk about me...which I was a tad nervous about because this would be the first time my supervisor here at Heart would have judged and commented on my performance.

Once my supervisor had spoken to my tutor, I returned to find out what had been said... All was positive feedback from my supervisor with the only improvement I could make would to be more proactive in the work place which I agree I could improve on. I shouldn't wait to be told or ask what to do next I should come up with things to do and get on and do it by myself.

I will take what my supervisor said as a guideline to improve on in Dubai and not as a negative comment because like my tutor said, no-one is perfect.

Once all the formalities had been done, I showed my tutor around the studios and buildings here at Heart.

I hope that your tutor visit will be as supportive and useful to what mine was and use the information to improve on not to put you down.

Happy blogging,

Hannah

Just for fun on this rainy day :D

Getting organised for Dubai

So here I am with little to do in the office today so I thought I wouldn't waste any time and get my self organised for October when I will be heading to Dubai for 6 months!!!

So first things first....clothes shopping :) As you may or may not know Dubai dress wear is slightly different and people including the brits must be some what covered up.

Luckily for me the autumn and winter clothes are coming into shops now resulting in summer clothes going on sale :) So cheap clothes for me to take to Dubai!!!

When working abroad for your placement be sure to know their religion and religious beliefs as you don't want to offend. Also be aware of the weather although working in a place of sun may make it sound like a holiday, just think you will be there for a while and you will be working and travelling to work so take this into consideration. Will you adapt well to the climate change hot or cold?

Do a risk assessment...
Go onto http://www.crg-online.com/Summaries.aspx?ap=5 and carry out a risk assessment of where you are heading of to and make the university aware of the results. Never put your self in danger.

Get in contact
I managed to find an email contact online of an intern who has worked in the same office in Dubai where I will be working. I emailed her asking her all sorts of questions like what sort of work I would be doing, what is the uniform or dress code like over there?

She said that they don't treat you like an intern and that they throw you into the deep end :/ it sounds scary but a good experience none the less. Her internship in Dubai helped her to gain the job she has now, working in another country makes you stand out from others so it's a fantastic experience she said.

I suggest when you do find a placement to try and get a contact from an intern who has worked there or try and find a blog, it gives you a more realistic view of what you will be doing and it's a great source if you are unsure of what to expect.


Insurance
When it comes to insurance for a placement abroad I would suggest going to the university and getting the insurance that they have for students working abroad. I went through the necessary paper work with my parents and it covers everything.

Just to double check I went onto one of those compare websites and the university insurance was cheapest so I will be taking this insurance out.

For me it cost £60= £10 a month

I have been fortunate enough to have the company sort flights and my Visa out for me so this is all taken care of, the one thing I am looking into sorting though is a laptop so I can Skype and do work over there.

I haven't yet decided what I'm getting so suggestions are open please :)


Happy blogging,

Hannah

First placement

My first placement is at Heart FM and I started in July. For three months I will be working in the sales and marketing team at Heart. This placement is unpaid but the plus side is that I live at home so expenses are to a minimum but I do have a part time job on the weekends.

Heart radio is the most popular radio brand in commercial radio which consists of 18 stations across the UK, reaching over 6.7 million people every week.

My first day of course which most students first days will consist of was paper work, a tour of the building, meeting and greeting of people in the office and how the software and computers work.

So my first day I felt nervous, I didn't know what to expect both for work that I would be doing and what the people would be like. Of course at Heart they are lovely, everyone was really welcoming and helpful and still are.

In that first week I was given the task of writing a newsletter for their business clients for each area in Devon in total five different newsletters. In order to do this I had to contact and get information from the majority of the office. Since then I have made a presentation to be shown on the reception television, more newsletters, special event emails to be sent to clients and much more but I won't bore you too much today.

Working at Heart is interesting, I hear all the 'backstage' information on events and promotions, I get to see celebs come in to do voice over's, I was shown how the studios work and if your lucky enough to be a chosen one like I was you get to star in an airtime advert.

Working 9-5 or in my case 8-4, 5 days a week is a shock for us students, try to get early nights. It sounds boring but it does help and you will probably find your self wanting to go bed earlier than normal.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, if you don't know something then ask you are there to learn as well as work.

I will write again with more of what I am doing but for now I shall goodbye :)

Happy blogging,

Hannah

The process, the search and the rejection

Worried about finding a placement?

You're not the only one trust me! I know its easy to say don't worry but try not to.

I began my placement search back in December 2010, a bit later than some of my class mates and I have only just secured my last and final placement (August 15th 2011). It's a long and yes sometimes painful process but one that has to be done.

I would say to start looking as soon as you start your second year, get prepared and start drafting your CV and put together a general covering letter.

CV's take time to put together and you will find your self writing them and re-drafting them all the time like I did.

When writing your CV and covering letter make sure that you:

• Use the placement team at the university to help you
• Ask friends and family to look at your CV
• Give it to your current employer to take a look
• Look on websites and examples to decide what style you want to take and the sort of things to include
• Don't be modest! you need to sell your self and make yourself stand out
• Spell check- if there are mistakes they won't even consider you

Experience
It sounds silly but it does help to have experience before you look for a placement. Many jobs that I applied for required some sort of experience and some wouldn't even let you apply if you didn't have any. So try looking for charities, schools, local clubs or businesses to gain this experience. Yes it may be unpaid or not what you want to do but in the long run it will help you get the placement that you really want or need.

The search
Searching for a placement is dull, it takes time and unfortunately you will probably face rejection more than once.

The thing to remember is to keep applying and not to let the rejection put you down. You should try and set time once a week, say a Thursday morning just to apply for placements and spend a few hours looking and collating contacts.

Don't be afraid to use the phone!
Phoning up companies for placements I found was more successful than just sending an email or CV. Go on to a companies website (whether they state they do placements or not) and get a contact preferably the contact you need to talk to or if not someone that can get you that contact.

By phoning you get to tell them what you are looking for, you get to ask if they do placements or if it is something they are interested in? It also shows that you are keen, confident and gives you a yes or no instead of waiting for a reply.

Many companies that I rung said to send in a CV which I did and because I had rung them up they were at their computer waiting for it, so when they received the email the majority emailed me back within minutes after talking to them on the phone.

The university has a database but don't use this as your only resource. You will have to look yourself. Try using social media to find placements, myself and class mates found this very useful. You can find contacts or get them to spread the word that you are looking for a placement.

Help each other! Yes you will be competing with your class mates to get a placement but at the same time use your classmates to help you get placements, if you find your friends getting placements get them to keep an eye out for you, get them to spread the word.

DON'T GIVE UP keep looking and applying to placements. Use rejection as a learning tool, if they say no then ask why!

You will find at some point that all of a sudden your class mates will start getting interviews and then placements. I was one of the last to get my placements sorted; I started to ask my self what is wrong with me? How come I can't get one, what do I do if I don't get a placement will I fail?

Try not to panic there is nothing wrong with you. You were just unsuccessful. You have to remember that you are competing against not only your classmates but hundreds if not thousands of other students who are looking for a placement.

Interviews

• Be prepared (the university has booklets so use them)
• Wear smart but comfortable clothes
• Know where your going, get on Google Maps the night before
• Allow for mistakes on the journey e.g. traffic, cancelations
• Take examples of university work
• Take a copy of your CV even if you have sent them one
• Be yourself
• Finally, try to have fun and enjoy yourself

If you manage to get an interview good start, if you get the job amazing, if you don't then use the interview as experience.

So be prepared for a long process and ups and downs but once you get the placement (which you will) it's the best feeling in the world and all the work would of been worth it :)

Happy blogging,

Hannah

My placement overview

Hello and welcome to my first blog!

Over the next few months I hope that from my experiences I can give other students information, confidence and an insight into the placement year that they will face as part of their university experience.

My name is Hannah and I study Public Relations as the University of Gloucestershire as part of my course I have to complete a placement year in the industry.

This was the main reason why I chose to do this course, you hear of so many students struggle after university to get a job they want because they have a lack of experience (or none).

You can have all the qualifications in the world but what you will find when you go to interviews for either a job or your placement is that employers want to know if you have relevant experience.

I knew that my placement year would be a vital part of my course so deciding where and what I did was important.

As part of my placement this year I have managed to secure my self three different placements.

First I will be at Heart radio station in the sales and marketing team for three months, after this I jet off to Dubai for six months working for a PR agency and finally after my return from Dubai I will be working in the press office at Exeter University for two months.

Doing three different placements is something that I chose to do and something I knew I would beneift from. I wanted as many different experiences as possible so I have found placements that are all different in job roles and duties.

• My placement at Heart has already started it began in July and is more business to business PR focused.
• PR agency in Dubai will be consumer PR focused
• Exeter University will be more research and local news related combing both consumer and business to business

Over the months I will write blogs on each of these placements and hopefully share my experiences with you :)

Hopefully you will enjoy what you read, find it helpful and if you have any questions then please don't hesitate to ask questions.

Happy blogging,

Hannah