Charlie interned at Pursuit at the end of 2017. Her drive and insights made Charlie an invaluable asset to the team.

Here I talk to Charlie about her experiences and future plans!

So Charlie, tell me what did you expect from your internship & what was the reality of your internship experience?

CB: “To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect but I surely was intimidated by the thought of it. It took a lot for me to even apply for internships because I didn’t think that I was enough. The idea of working with clients and contributing to the name that Brooke has built herself on the Coast with Pursuit Communications was not a task that I took lightly.

Coming into this role with this mentality, I thought that I would be a little out of my depth when it came to the practical knowledge that comes with this crazy industry. I felt like I had learnt so much theory at university but none of it had really prepared me for practical PR experience.

I agree, I think a lot of universities need to embrace an internship /placement program as part of their degree qualification. 

Yes! So true and now that I’ve experienced agency life the reality of my experiences interning here at Pursuit Communication were a lot less scary than I had originally thought.

A lot of the skills that I have learnt from working in other industries and during my degree are still applicable in PR work to be able to get the best results for Pursuit’s clients. I was surprised how much I relied on what, before interning here, I had assumed would be common sense for most. I have realised, during this experience that I have internalised much of what I had learnt at university into my everyday life but also, you cannot assume that others have that same common sense knowledge that I took for granted before coming into this role. I guess it is true what they say – you have to live and breathe this industry to do well and you (Brooke) have really instilled that in me during my time here.

Thanks Charlie! So say someone is feeling the same way you were before you started, sell them the benefits of participating in an internship program

CB: The biggest benefit of working at Pursuit Communications and under you (Brooke) is that you support your interns, their work and their ideas. I have been lucky in that from day one, Brooke had the confidence in me that I was maybe lacking in myself to get the job done.

Apart from the obvious benefits of having PR experience on your resume, this role has given me the ability to go into a job interview with examples of how I have helped achieve a positive outcome for a client. It has given me the confidence to know that I can succeed in this industry and I’m not going to lie to you, it is pretty damn fun!

So you’ve now completed your degree and heading out into the workforce – where do you see the PR industry moving in the next three to five years?
CB: I see this PR and marketing roles and functions becoming more and more integrated as businesses see and experience how beneficial a good PR practitioner can be, not only to their bottom line but also to the overall culture of the business itself. 

How So?

CB: PR is so diversified in how it functions on paper, but in practice, it really does take a village to raise a (campaign) baby. Good PR work requires the integrated knowledge of multiple people and perspectives to get a holistic picture of how a campaign should look and what will work for a public. With this in mind, I think the industry it will take a more interdisciplinary approach to PR practice.”

Any tips for those considering starting an internship program?

CB: “Take a leaf out of Nike’s branding and ‘Just Do It!’ That means getting completely out of your comfort zone, like when you are on a shoot and Brooke asks if you would mind being an extra (particularly when you get so nervous your organs feel like jelly).

Furthermore – there are no stupid questions, but there are definitely stupid answers. Do not be afraid to be a little extra, and always back yourself because if you don’t, why would anyone else?”

Thanks Charlie – appreciate your hard work and your dedication, it has been an absolute pleasure having you at Pursuit and I’d like to wish you all the very best in your future endeavours! 

Charlie Bowcock – (seated right-hand side) taking part in photo-shoot for one of Pursuit’s clients in 2017