Interning at 393: What I’ve learnt

April 2025: A Q&A with Emily as she enters the world of PR

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, Emily – what you’ve been studying and what excites you about the world of PR

I am a psychology graduate who is fascinated by how people think, communicate, and make decisions. Steering away from the traditional clinical side of things during my degree, I became more interested in understanding behaviour change and behaviour analysis which has naturally led me into the world of PR and communications.

It is all about understanding different audiences and figuring out how to tell the right story in the right way. I am keen to work in a dynamic environment where it really is the reality that no two days are the same. I am ready to kickstart my PR career and what better place to do that than 393, learning from the experts.

2. How would you explain PR to your friends and family

PR to me is all about understanding other people’s stories and being able to communicate this to a wider audience. It is about shaping the perception and image of someone or an organisation through clear messaging and ‘storytelling’. There are a lot of things that will come into this – consistent communication with clients, writing press releases and pitching ideas to journalists, are just some of the many things involved in this.

For me, the role of PR is to translate company messaging to the outside world, making sure to tell their story in the right way and to the right people.

3. What were your first impressions of working in a PR agency?

Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect (especially in the world of B2B tech) but from the start I realised just how fast-paced and hands-on agency life really is. There is always something happening – media lists to assess and update, pitches going out, regular  client calls – the list goes on. In an unpredictable world with news constantly changing, you always have to be prepared for unexpected turns and new challenges. Keeping up to date with news is paramount for this.

The biggest stand out for me is how collaborative everything is. The nature of a small agency means there is constant communication and teamwork, naturally making a really supportive environment to learn from each other. What is great about agency life, specifically 393, is you really are in the middle of it all and looking to make a real difference everyday – it will definitely never be boring!

4. What has been your favourite task to have been involved in?

One of my favourite tasks has been media pitching. Taking a technical topic and turning it into something that a journalist would want can be a really creative task. Making something that is quite complex or niche feel relevant or newsworthy was a fun challenge. It has been cool to see how much thought goes into shaping a story before it actually reaches the press – I would have never known this prior to this experience.

5. Has anything surprised you about working in PR?

What has surprised me about working in PR is the attention towards matching what the client wants and what the media wants, and how sometimes these might not align. What has also surprised me is just how much rapport is built with the clients. I had assumed in a professional setting that communication would be short and formal and quite transactional.

From the team at 393, I have observed the great relationship that has been built with clients which has spanned, in some cases, across long periods of time. Gaining trust from clients is not something that will happen instantly – building these relationships is something I am going to have to work hard on throughout my career.

6. What’s been the most valuable thing you’ve learnt over your time?

To really understand the audience, in other words – audience first! Whether it’s a journalist, a client, or their customers, everything comes down to making sure the message lands in the right way. I have also learnt a lot about how to manage my time and juggle multiple tasks. With this being my first taste of the PR world, the deadlines truly matter – being able to prioritise tasks based on their urgency is a skill I will for sure be able to take with me in my future career.

7. Do you have any advice for someone who’s thinking about getting into PR but isn’t sure where to start?

My biggest piece of advice is just give it a go! Even if you are not 100% sure what PR involves, or what sector you will thrive in, just getting some hands-on experience will teach you a lot. It is through internships like mine at 393 that will allow you to understand what PR looks like day to day, allowing you to learn the core skills that will make you flourish in your career.

I would also recommend keeping up with the media – reading the news and thinking about how this affects how companies are presented. It does not matter if you do not come from a PR or comms background (like me coming from Psychology) – skills like great communication, thinking creatively and being curious are just as important in kick starting your career, the rest can be learnt along the way.

8. Looking ahead, what are you most excited to learn or experience next in PR?

I am really excited to keep building on and getting better at what I have learned so far. Taking on more responsibility and eventually leading on smaller tasks or owning parts of a campaign, is something that excites me. I am keen to keep developing my media relations skills and be able to spot good story angles – just really understanding what makes something newsworthy. Or maybe one day I will be training up my own intern, just like me, and introducing them to the world of PR. There is still so much to learn, but that is what makes PR so exciting!

Emily Manning, Intern