A few weeks ago we provided a glimpse at A Day in the Life of a Digital Intern. This week, we asked Hannah Redfield, one of Hawkins International’s stellar employees to give you a behind the scenes look at her role at Hawkins and how she got her start in travel public relations. She has some great advice for those looking to begin their career in PR and shares why shes loves working at Hawkins:
After living in London for four months and traveling throughout much of Europe, it was hard to face the reality of returning to the U.S., graduating from Syracuse University, and embarking on the job hunt. With a degree in Public Relations and a new-found love of travel, I began searching for a career to marry the two passions. Hawkins International Public Relations’ wonderful internship program helped me get my foot in the door of travel PR, and I quickly transitioned into a full-time Account Coordinator role.
As an Account Coordinator, I work on the promotion of various public relations initiatives for our clients. Daily tasks include pitching client news to top-target media, coordinating on-site visits for journalists, planning special events, organizing press trips to the properties and tracking media coverage. Account Coordinators support senior-level staff members on overarching strategy for each client, and work on the “front line” to meet all client objectives.
One thing I’ve learned is no two days in travel PR are the same! As a junior-level staff member, remaining flexible with scheduling is key, as last-minute requests from clients pop up frequently. Time management is one of the most important skills any entry-level PR professional can have, as well as top-notch writing and the ability to communicate effectively.
Hawkins International has a thriving agency culture. From day one as an intern, everyone was happy and eager to guide me to success, and made me feel like a valuable member of the team. As an Account Coordinator, I feel comfortable reaching out to any of my team members, regardless of their title, to ask for help or advice. With Hawkins being a smaller agency, I have the unique opportunity to work with every member of the office on both big and small projects, which creates a collaborative culture promoting productive account teams and healthy work relationships.
Being an Account Coordinator at Hawkins International has taught me so many things in a short amount of time, and I’m excited to continue learning and growing at such a dynamic, successful and fun agency!