Junior Ayanbeku - Aspiring PR

Junior Ayanbeku (pictured on the left) took part in the 2009 Brunswick Internship Programme, the unique training initiative run by Brunswick, Unicorn Jobs and our sister company Taylor Bennett to address diversity issues in the PR and corporate communications industry.

On each programme six black and ethnic minority graduates from the University Of East London receive ten weeks of intensive and practical training in the worlds of PR, media and business, equipping them for a career in communications. The interns are not guaranteed a job at the end of the internship, but participants receive careers coaching during and after the programme from experts at both Unicorn Jobs and Taylor Bennett.

Junior didn’t secure a job immediately after the internship finished last December. But, still convinced that PR is the industry for him, he has now begun proactively searching for the right entry level role. He has agreed to blog about his job search for the Unicorn Jobs website, and you will able to follow his progress here.

As way of an introduction, we spoke to Junior about his academic background, the internship programme and his ambitions.

By Unicorn Jobs

What did you study at university?

I studied Journalism at the University Of East London, and the modules I chose reflected predominantly on new media, citizen journalism and the cultural effects of the creative industries.

Why did you apply for the Brunswick Internship Programme?

During my time at university one of our lecturers brought in his daughter to talk to us about PR and how we, as journalism students, might choose to utilise our degree in the communications industry.

On leaving university I wanted to go straight into work and after missing out at the final stage of the ITV internship application process, Laura Barkaway in UEL‘s Employability Unit gave me a call telling me about the Brunswick scheme. I read the programme prospectus and realised how much I could learn from this internship organised by such a prestigious consultancy, and in a matter of minutes my mind was made up to apply.

What did the programme involve?

I think the question should be what didn’t it involve! I could give you a long list of what we did and learned and I would still probably miss a lot of things off. But, in my opinion, the most notable areas covered were presentation techniques, UK news media and their audiences and political stances, new media and the financial industry. We also had a lot of field trips to various businesses in and out of London.

There are so many other things I could name but we would be here for ages, so for the record I will simply say it surpassed all my expectations.

What did you learn on the programme?

I learned about the various strands within the PR industry, the challenges they face on a regular and occasional basis, and the importance of the relationship between a consultancy and client, and between all PR people and the audiences they communicate with. Also to be more efficient in my thinking, and how to work fast without affecting the quality of your output.

Did you find any of it difficult?

Well, the first week was relatively easy so I had no problems there, because we were just settling in. But half way through week two I had a reality check of just how hard it was going to be. There was always a sense that you needed to be better today than you were yesterday and I think that was the hardest part, continuously improving and not making the same mistakes twice.

Plus, we were like ambassadors for Brunswick, Taylor Bennett, Unicorn Jobs and UEL all in one, and the weight of expectation was, for me, the most difficult part, but it brought out the best in us and I think we were selected because they knew we could handle the pressure.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans have remained the same since I left the internship, and that is to acquire a job in PR. I am absolutely fascinated with this industry and nothing will deter me in achieving that goal.

What do you do in your spare time?

I am very interested in the media, and follow the news in whatever way I can, it’s probably the first and last thing I do everyday. I also write general blogs concerning my interests, news and events and have recently started a new blog dedicated to PR.

Besides that I do a bit of graphic design and play football on a Sunday.

What are your tips for any UEL students thinking of applying for the next internship programme?

My first tip would probably be to fill out the application form immediately!

But I would say you need to be confident, creative, and not afraid to challenge yourself and learn new things. It’s a perfect chance to learn a great deal from people who are dedicated to teaching you about the industry and such an opportunity doesn’t come around often.

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To follow Junior on his job search check his blog here. If you know of any job opportunities he should consider email junior@unicornjobs.com