The prospect of beginning the scheme in the Healthcare department was a little daunting. My previous PR experience was in a corporate department, and I was worried that I would feel out of my depth in the world of Health PR. I don’t have a science background (literature and languages are more my thing) and hoped this wouldn’t hinder my understanding of the sector. However, the team was extremely welcoming and put me at ease from the off. They are all very knowledgeable of the intricacies of the industry and were able to answer my numerous questions. Like doctors, the Healthcare team-members focus on their own specialist areas; for example, you might go to one person for nuanced in-depth review of the oncology sector, while someone else might know everything there is to know about international regulations around HIV vaccine distribution. In this way, like a microcosm of a general hospital, Edelman’s Healthcare team can deliver PR to clients in all different areas of the Healthcare industry.

The work I was given plunged me straight into several different projects; I was particularly keen to be able to help draft internal emails and newsletters in my first week. I also jumped at the opportunity to help with preparations for a new business pitch which provided me with a real insight into how a pitch snowballs from the prospective client’s first brief to the delivery of a well-crafted pitch deck. I helped provide research into the relevant market and competitors, and this served also to educate me in this often complex industry populated with rules, regulations and difficult-to-pronounce brand names. As well as this research, subscriptions to trade newsletters and journals were extremely useful in keeping me up-to-date with the latest developments – I found The Lancet and Scrip both particularly informative outlets.

I realised two important things by the end of my rotation. Firstly, that for the sake of my own health I really would have to start refusing the constant flow of ‘treats’ that passed through the department and secondly, that I had only brushed the tip of the pharmaceutical iceberg. There is a whole lot going on in the world of medicine socially, politically and economically. It hums away quietly without most of us noticing it. The amount of work involved in bringing new treatments to market is colossal, and Edelman’s work is a key part of this lengthy process.

It was a brilliant and challenging first week, and whilst I breathed a huge sigh of relief on Friday evening, I am also excited to be back for my second week to get stuck back in.

First rotation for me is in the Corporate team, who have welcomed me with open arms. Working on a range of different clients from Starbucks to Mitsubishi Electric, I am looking forward to the next 2 months of getting to grips with corporate PR and hoping to lend a hand whenever I can.

The most exciting news to spring from my first week, is securing my first piece of coverage, after my first sell-in experience. This was a very proud moment for me and, rather embarrassingly, I rang my Mum to let her know that evening.

Already feeling settled in, and as well as all my work with the corporate team, myself and the other 2 grads have been asked to organise the Breast Cancer ‘Wear It Pink Day’ at the end of October, and I have a meeting this afternoon to discuss my experience of acting and theatre. Bring on the second week…

Last week was the Edelman Christmas Party and in the interest of being fiscal in these turbulent economic times, we kept it in our offices in Victoria. However, this didn’t mean people gathering around their desks, having a glass of wine.

The theme this year was American Prom – something light-hearted and easy enough to dress for. On the day rumours were soon flying around that Same Difference of X Factor fame would be making an appearance but alas, this was not true.

The office was completely transformed, the meeting rooms at the back made into one large room. There was a checked floor, and huge plastic ice-cream cones and American diner tables. Not only was the normal bar transformed into a cocktail bar, but a second bar appeared on the edge of the dancefloor.

The smaller meeting rooms were also transformed – with karaoke in one and Rock Band in the other and as the night wore on more and more people found themselves being drawn towards them.

The catering team at Edelman went all out providing mini hot dogs, mini burgers, bowls of chilli, chips, potato skins, crab cakes, popcorn, doughnuts and jelly beans – making the American Prom Theme that much more realistic. The band we had were brilliant, getting people crowding onto the dancefloor for a bit of a boogie. There was also a photographer, waiting to take the customary prom photos as we entered the room and obviously then hanging around to take some embarrassing snaps during the night.

Even though we were doing Christmas low-key this year, as we all left, it was strange to think that we had been in our offices all that time.