Before applying for graduate roles I asked myself a lot of questions. What kind of career did I want? What kind of skills did I enjoy utilising? Did I want to work in a small firm or a large one? Who did I enjoy working with?
When I discovered LEWIS I found my answer. LEWIS graduates work in a fast-paced, varied environment whilst researching, writing and talking about some of the most pressing current affairs issues of the day. The global nature of the business means day-to-day interactions with colleagues all over the world. There’s also the opportunity to travel and work at another global office in your first year – something not offered by most firms!
What does an Account Coordinator do all day?
My role as an Account Coordinator is to help our clients tell their story through the media. Sometimes that is to as wide a group as possible, others it is more narrow, targeting publications which have an audience specific to their business.
My team starts the day with press briefing, a daily meeting where we go through all of the newspapers to identify key stories. If a topic is particularly relevant to one of our clients, we quickly put together a comment on behalf of a spokesperson to contribute to the debate and engage with the press.
“Keeping track of the news and having a keen interest in the media is crucial for PR.”
Away from the time-sensitive news agenda, we research and identify wider themes in client’s industries which they might wish to talk about. Therefore, if a client has an important announcement, we are able to explain to journalists about how it fits in with broader industry trends.
As someone who is passionate about current affairs, I have found this part of my role particularly rewarding. Seeing your client’s spokespeople mentioned in the news as industry experts on topics of industry-wide, or even national importance, makes results meaningful. And that brings me to another great point about media relations: in PR you can get results and make progress on a daily basis. There is never a dull moment!
What’s the best part of working at LEWIS?
My favourite part of the role is engaging with members of the media. I enjoy researching and talking to journalists who are keen to write about issues of shared interest. Prior to contacting journalists, we make sure we are aware of what they like to talk about which facilitates a much better conversation and helps us build a relationship. Many journalists have interesting backgrounds and by getting to know them, we learn too.
Above all, what makes LEWIS such a truly special place to work is the people. The business has a unique character; every person I have worked with has been very friendly with a great sense of humour. The training programme, geared towards turning graduates into Account Executives by the end of six months, is led by some of the best people in PR. Whether it’s learning from ex-journalists about how to write for the media or an industry expert on how to present well, it is clear that senior members of staff really care about our development.
Opportunities abound too. From my first day, I have been lucky to have been working on high-level global campaigns and am currently working on the biggest project LEWIS has ever undertaken. Later this year I am off to spend three days working in LEWIS’ San Francisco office as a part of the Passport scheme.
I have learnt more than I thought possible within a few months, surrounded by people with whom it is a pleasure to work. If you’re looking for a fulfilling career working with colleagues all over the world look no further. Come work with us!
