A VIEW FROM OUR INTERN: HARI PATEL
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A VIEW FROM OUR INTERN: HARI PATEL
Hari joined Harpswood as our summer intern through The Social Mobility Foundation’s paid internship scheme.
Hari is currently studying Physics at Imperial College London, and brought sharp thinking and curiosity to the team. From learning the art of writing a pitch to spotting newsjacking opportunities, he jumped straight into agency life. We asked him to reflect on his experience in our London HQ…
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO HARPSWOOD?
The culture was the main factor. A quick stalk of Harpswood on LinkedIn gave me the sense that the team was very supportive of each other and also very social. This was really refreshing after my previous (dull) corporate experiences.
Harpswood’s clients were another reason I wanted to intern with them. It’s satisfying to know their work has a positive impact. Coming from a physics background, topics like energy and sustainability have always been of interest to me and so Harpswood seemed like the perfect choice.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU LEARNED ABOUT PR?
I started the internship knowing nothing about PR, so I had everything to learn. The first thing I noticed was how fast-paced the environment was: people were constantly going in and out of meetings, and ideas were flying around.
I’ve learned that communication is everything in PR (shock). PRs need to be able to navigate difficulties by making smart compromises. Whether it’s a client delaying timelines, a case study contact going quiet, or a journalist being demanding, the goal of a PR is to make everyone as happy as possible and achieve the best results for their clients.
Before this internship, I underestimated the importance of PR. I’m from a generation that’s chronically online, and it can feel like everything has shifted to digital marketing. But over the last few months I’ve seen that so many firms depend on PR for a range of reasons - from a startup wanting exposure so they can attract investment or land their first customers, to a business wanting to establish their CEO as a thought leader in their industry.
00 BEFORE THIS INTERNSHIP, I UNDERESTIMATED THE IMPORTANCE OF PR 00
WHAT WAS YOUR AVERAGE DAY LIKE?
Every day began with a scan for news stories that we can either jump on with a pitch to the journalist, or share between the team and with clients for industry knowledge. This was an important part of the day as it could dictate what the rest of the day could look like.
After the morning news scan, I worked on a diverse range of tasks. From supporting with sell-ins for client announcements or helping to draft an op-ed to calling case studies and contributing to training workshops for the team - no two days were the same! While this kept me on my toes, there was also some much needed structure.
In the morning, we had a quick group meeting to talk about the priorities for the day, and the team gathered for a ‘spin gym’ once a week where we would get together and help one another brainstorm new pitch angles, or journalists to approach for a particular story. It was always interesting to see the fresh perspective of someone who didn’t work on the same client as you. I saw the client teams often come up with new ideas or the answer to a challenge simply by explaining the issue to someone outside the loop. Yet again, good communication is everything!
WHAT WERE YOUR HIGHLIGHTS?
The conversations that took place in between everyone putting their heads down, and during the spin gyms, were very fun to be a part of. You don’t have to be a mathematician to indulge in some light problem solving!
While days with big press releases or an important exclusive coming out could be intense, seeing all the positive results always made it worth it.
But the absolute biggest highlight was staying late to play Dungeons and Dragons with some of the Harpswood team. There’s really nothing like a bunch of PRs gathering around a table to eat pizza and roleplay wizards and halflings while fantasy soundtracks play in the background.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF?
I’ve learned more than I expected to. I’m used to environments that require less socialising. I’m not saying everyone I know is an introvert, just that constantly communicating and being in an energetic environment has never been super important to me. However, at a PR agency where you are constantly interacting with people, being too reserved can lower the overall energy. I learned how to contribute to that energy without changing my personality.
Furthermore, the sell-ins taught me that the words I say aren’t merely vibrating air molecules; they can open many doors. The tone of my voice, and brevity and clarity of my sentences determined the success of the calls. This was a great lesson in how I can present myself when working in new environments and building my network in the future.
Aside from developing my communications skills, I’ve also seen what it means to be a strong leader. There are numerous examples of leaders at Harpswood, from directors to account managers, and together they’ve created an atmosphere that is simultaneously spirited and productive.