POST-GRADUATE LIFE

So thats it! My three short years at University are over!

I honestly cannot believe how fast it has gone. It seems like only yesterday I was packing up my car and waving off my parents ready for a jam-packed freshers week. It's incredibly sad to think that I am officially no longer a student. Whilst I am excited to see what the future holds I am also a little nervous to think that I am now venturing into the big wide world of ADULT LIFE....eek.

Current Update:
After finishing University at the end of May, I moved back home to Derby for a couple of weeks before venturing up to Manchester to start my next placement- a one month paid internship working for Carousel PR. Carousel specialise in consumer PR and they represent a hole host of fashion and lifestyle brands (including Selfridges, Bratz Dolls, Festival No.6 and CurrentBody.com). They are based in  the very swanky MediaCity, near Salford Quays. The building was very professional and located directly next to the ITV and BBC studios. Upon my commute to work I often saw crew members lining up audiences for TV shows (including Jeremy Kyle and a few shows for the CBeebies channel). It was such a fast-paced environment and got a real buzz working there.

Whilst completing my internship I undertook numerous tasks for a whole host of clients. The one thing I do admire about agency work is that you constantly have something to do and everyday is different. An example of some of my daily tasks I did include researching and contacting bloggers for press events, selling campaigns and stories to journalists for potential publicity, hosting competitions and sending prizes to winners, drafting social media posts via Hootsuite and mounting publicity to send to clients.

My favourite part of the job was being apply to apply my own knowledge of bloggers, social media and PR to the job. Working in the fashion, toy and festival sectors meant that I was constantly sourcing parenting, fashion, music and food bloggers. As someone who is obsessed with social media and blogging, I found this task incredibly fun, as I was able to recommend some of the recent blogs I have been reading.

After this internship I have definitely decided that pubic relations is the job role for me. As a tech-head who is obsessed with fashion, blogging and social media I definitely think I can thrive in this creative industry. I loved this placement and the brands they represented, and as a girl who is desperate to work in consumer and lifestyle PR, it was an incredible placement that definitely matched my brand personality.

So now my internship is over I am spending most of my days scouring the internet for more placements or full-time jobs. I have a few festivals lined up so I am taking a bit of a break and enjoying life before being an adult really begins. I am still desperate to work in PR but I am also definitely open to other options as well. If theres anybody out there reading this post that can recommend any good recruitment agencies or entry-level job roles then do let me know!

UPDATE- PAST YEAR, DISNEY & NEW ADVENTURES

It's definitely safe to say that I have certainly neglected my blog in the past year. Due to a very busy summer and third year university commitments, I have scarcely had time to think yet alone keep up to date with writing a blog...

So this post is just a quick update to let you know what I've been doing this past year and what I'm looking to doing in the year ahead.

SO...

Lets start with summer. Possibly the most amazing summer of my life. If you have read previous blog posts you will know that I took part in the 'Disney Cultural Exchange Program' for summer 2015, where I lived and worked at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The program lasted two months and ran from the start of June to the start of August. I worked around 45 hours a week for two months at the busiest time of year. My job role was attractions and I worked in EPCOT on the Journey into Imagination with Figment ride, Captain EO 3D show, and Character Spot (a place where you can meet Mickey, Minnie and Goofy). I rotated around all these different attractions every day, so no day as a cast member was the same. 

So lets cut to the basics.

Yes, it was fantastic. I could visit the theme parks whenever I had spare time. I made so many wonderful friends from all over the world and I got to work in the beautiful heat (very different to working in England). 

But this job was hard. 

And I mean HARD. 

It definitely isn't something for someone who lacks work ethic. The hours are tough, you are told to smile constantly and most of the time you are by yourself in compete control of your surroundings. The application process was incredibly competitive, and after working there I can definitely understand why. They look for candidates who are enthusiastic about Disney, have lots of previous work experience and people who physically look like a "cast member" (so no visible piercings, tattoos or crazy hair colours).   

However, despite the hard work, this job really was amazing. I have returned from Disney a much more maturer person, I met some incredible life-long friends and some memories which will last a lifetime. As a public relations student, this was an incredible experience for me because I got to see hands-on what it was like to work for one of the most reputable companies in the world. I'm so grateful that I was able to experience something like this so early on in my life, it was the opportunity of a lifetime and was definitely worth the money and thorough application process. 

If anyone has any questions about this program please leave a comment below or contact my via Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Tumblr!

After my magical two months at 'the happiest place on earth' I took a month to relax before starting my third and final year of university. Since September I've basically been working non-stop and trying to enjoy university life as much as possible before I venture into the world of work. I am currently writing my dissertation (my chosen topic is Disney, of course) and frantically searching for a job in public relations (ideally in somewhere other than my hometown). I'd really like to embark on my next adventure in a new place with new faces. My chosen destination is currently Manchester, I am in love with the vibe of the city and I would love to live and work somewhere that has a great atmosphere for young people. A fun, quirky agency is definitely preferable for someone like me, so if anyone reading this has anywhere they could recommend for work experience (or who'd hire a grad like me) please let me know!

I am definitely going to try and dedicate more time to this blog. Its a great way for future employers to see how invested I am in writing and fashion, and to see how much of a strong work ethic I have. 

So stay tuned for more blog posts soon.