What I learned as an intern at Stampa
Graduate Hal Norman (second from left, grey t-shirt) recently took his first steps into the world of PR and corporate communications. In this blog, he reflects on his PR internship at Stampa in London.
After recently graduating in Politics and International Relations from the University of Sussex, I had the opportunity to work with Stampa’s London team for a summer internship.
Before starting, I didn’t know a lot about public relations, the make-up of the industry and the difference between agency and in-house communications.
Stampa gave me the chance to explore the world of PR and corporate communications by getting involved in a wide range of their work, from media pitching and monitoring to internal communications and media training.
“PR is an exciting business. It’s great work if you’re politically savvy because you’re often writing about topical issues high on the political agenda.”
Hal Norman
As part of my PR internship, I was offered the chance to work on a variety of accounts across several different projects, all unique in their scope and purpose. A highlight was researching and writing a pitch to the media about the energy transition – a big topic for many of Stampa’s clients. It was fascinating to see how the story should be packaged and presented to attract the attention of a busy journalist.
Stampa also offered me training – like learning how to write and communicate effectively in a business context and how to tackle a media interview. These parts of the PR puzzle are all about messaging and strategy, which is great if you’re into campaigns and the media.
PR is an exciting business. It’s great work if you’re politically savvy because you’re often writing about topical issues high on the political agenda.
As a Politics graduate, being able to write about critical issues facing business and society was fascinating, particularly as Stampa deals with top journalists and represents leading international clients.
I’m very grateful to the Stampa team for having me – in particular to Jim, Stacy, Harry and Tara who looked after me in the London team.
Hal Norman
