Olivia recently completed two weeks of work experience with FieldHouse. In this post, she reflects on discovering that a lack of previous deep technical knowledge needn’t be an impediment to a career in tech PR.
My biggest worry in the lead up to this work experience surrounded FieldHouse’s area of specialism – something that had always intimidated me, and I’m sure others too: tech. Thinking of the tech world immediately conjured pictures of complex computer programmes, endless numbers and, well, robots. Fairly quicky I realised, though, that in the tech PR world, it is the concepts and values behind these tech companies that need to be grasped, not the complex specifics I’d been so nervous about not understanding. Suddenly, I was finding myself interested in companies, concepts, and ideas that I previously thought were part of an area I simply would not suit.
This brings me onto the work itself. Something I enjoyed so much about my time at FieldHouse was the combination of independent research, requiring me to not only take initiative but to embrace it, along with a consistent, reassuring presence in knowing that any guidance or answers I had would be almost immediately offered by a member of the team. In my experience, this was often my great mentor Dan, who created an extremely helpful schedule for my two weeks before I’d even arrived, calming my nerves considerably and encouraging me to learn as much as possible within the time period. The varied tasks, including analysis of a client’s LinkedIn profile, compiling a spreadsheet of relevant events for clients to attend and speak at, and compiling the morning news roundup, allowed me to explore both my strengths and areas in which I want to improve my knowledge.
Throughout my experience, I had numerous one-to-one meetings with team members about areas they specialised in, including fintech, edtech, core principles of PR, events, and more. The interactive nature of these discussions allowed me to ask questions and explore each team member’s experience in their specific field. Something that really opened my eyes was the breadth of the industry, consisting of so many different facets, each one sparking my interest in different ways. It was not only ‘tech’ that possessed this newfound breadth, but PR itself. Witnessing the team interact with clients and discussing their roles during meetings gave me a valuable insight into working within the PR industry, something I am extremely grateful for going forward. The ability of each staff member to find their own niche and delve into that is something I really admire, and FieldHouse’s success as a company is credit to that enabling of specialised creativity, while never bypassing the smallest details. Within this experience, I have been able to understand the depth of the work the company does, and the breadth of the industry it is so deeply embedded within.
The work ethic at FieldHouse is not to be underestimated, but within my two weeks I quickly understood that the productive attitude and efficiency here is not only about the amount of work being done, but also collaboration, staff wellbeing, and internal support. This was quickly realised on my first morning, with an instantly welcoming working environment and friendly introduction to the team. With the work actively engaging, and the team always there to help (whether in person or over Slack), I quickly settled into my role at FieldHouse over the last two weeks. It is safe to say, this is an experience I have not only gained extensive knowledge and connections from, but one I have found thoroughly enjoyable.
As a recent university graduate, the corporate world appears daunting in more ways than one. Decisions about which industries to explore, what city to base around, and what companies to apply to seem overwhelming, particularly after two years of a debilitating global pandemic. The valuable level of insight I have gained in this short time at FieldHouse, I’m certain, will be something I gratefully take forward with me into my future career. FieldHouse Associates is clearly a company which not only takes pride in its clients and its work, but in its team and its values. Consequently, one of the most important things I have learned from this experience, not only professionally but personally, is a consolidation of what kind of company I hope to be employed by in the future.
