Celebrating National Careers Week – Approach PR
This week, National Careers Week (NCW) takes place – a whole decade since Nick Newman conceived the idea for the campaign.
At Approach PR, we believe it is incredibly important to support and nurture the skills young people have to offer and are committed to doing all we can to develop the career aspirations of future generations.
In 2019, we hosted seven work experience students at Approach and gave them a valuable insight into what life is like working in a nationally recognised PR and social media agency. Alongside this, our senior account manager Helen ran three mock interview sessions with schools across Bradford to help advance the skills and confidence of young people.
The development of future PR practitioners remains a key focus in 2020. Last week we hosted work experience student Ellie Leech. We introduced Ellie to the wonderful world of public relations and showed her some of the knowledge and skills needed for success in a career in the industry.
There are many specialisms within the PR industry, from a role building valuable media relations, to having the responsibility for scheduling perfect, powerful social media posts. The common aim is to communicate a company’s key messages to its target audience in an effective way.
The volunteers who work with NCW all have valuable knowledge gained through their extensive experience working in sectors including business, education and career counselling. Assistance is also provided by a variety of schools and companies in the area which offer their time and resources to support school students.
The career opportunities and support for young people in the Yorkshire area are ever-expanding.
To discover more about the National Careers Week campaign, visit their Twitter page @CareersWeek or follow the hashtag #NCW2020.
National Grammar Day (March 4th) – Approach PR
Happy National Grammar Day!
Falling on a Wednesday this year, 4th March marks National Grammar Day in the USA. The official website professes that “Language is something to be celebrated, and March 4 is the perfect day to do it. It’s not only a date, but it’s also an imperative: March forth on March 4 to speak well, write well, and help others to do the same!”
Having seemingly laid dormant for some time, in recent years ‘grammar trolls’ have re-emerged onto the internet. They’ve begun bolstering their way through social media posts and the comments sections of websites and news articles, addressing grammatical errors and admonishing those responsible for such heinous acts as they go.
For those unaware, grammar trolls are those who feel it their duty to find and correct any errors made by rebellious rulebreakers of grammar.
On social media, grammar is admittedly not necessarily a priority, and omission of proper grammar is acceptable given the informal nature of the platform. However, that being said, on official social media accounts, it is vital that companies use great grammar!
It’s almost impossible to retain the prestigious, professional image you’ve spent so long creating for your company if you’re making spelling and grammatical mistakes in your social media posts, press releases, blog posts… etc.
Here are some excruciating examples of grammatical errors to avoid – lest you be mocked by the online community!
Image source: Hubspot
Unless the owner goes by the name ‘Sport’, it would seem this apostrophe has been misused!
Image source: Hubspot
Clothing brand H&M misspelling the word ‘genius’ on one of their T-shirts has to take the award for ‘Most Ironic Misspelling’!
Image source: thoughtco.com
Perhaps not committed enough! At least, not to excellence in spelling!
The above examples are real-life errors! Even highly-successful, renowned businesses like retail giant H&M can fall foul of awkward grammatical blunders!
It’s great when the signs and products of companies are shared far and wide online and are remembered by the public… but only when it’s for the right reasons! When it’s to showcase their dynamic design, wonderful word-play or innovative ideas, it’s fantastic! However, if it’s to highlight embarrassing errors in grammar and spelling, it’s not quite the positive news it may seem to be!
There may be an appointed National Grammar Day – but that’s not to say good grammar and grammatical rules should only be adhered to on 4th March! It’s a practice which can take a lifetime to fully master, however, this is something we should strive for.
The team at Approach PR are great at grammar! Meticulously check all our written work – from press releases to blog posts – for pesky spelling and grammar errors to avoid these moments of embarrassment for your company. Thus, keeping you safe from the relentless grammar trolls lurking in the shadows, waiting for grammatical mistakes they can make a meal out of!
Endings and Beginnings – AKA PR
As the saying conceived by the Roman philosopher Lucius Seneca goes, ‘every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end’. This quote is particularly poignant for me today, as I sit for the last time at the desk I have come to every Wednesday, for the last 6 months, in AKA’s office at the picturesque High Corn Mill.
It hasn’t quite registered yet that my Wednesdays will now be spent elsewhere, visiting this business and completing the tasks set for me has become such a part of my routine that I cannot think how I spent my Wednesdays before starting here at AKA!
I have been introduced to an ever-expanding world which I barely knew existed before – a world of software such as Kantar and PRMax, of completing cuttings, shaping social media plans, and penning press releases. The staff members here have taught me how to carry out a plethora of processes and have had no hesitation in involving me with all the different aspects of working for a PR firm.
I have met some of the friendliest, most helpful people in my co-workers. People who have provided both commendation and constructive criticism on the work I have written for them – on the press releases, the blog posts, the emails. People who have immensely broadened and enhanced the writing skills I gained while at university. People I will miss the company of, now that I am moving on.
The experiences, knowledge and skills provided to me here at AKA really have been absolutely invaluable, and will no doubt serve me well as I embark upon new ventures throughout my life. It feels like a lifetime since I first came through the door, and I am leaving a more confident and much more informed individual, with a bulging notebook filled with knowledge (and with a superb sheep mug the staff kindly gifted to me!).
I am so grateful for all the support and assistance I have received at AKA during my time here and am so glad I decided to reach out and take the risk of asking for some work experience all those months ago!
emma leeming writes 