One thing we’re certain on at Yasper, is being able to offer paid work experience to those who need it. We’re keen to change the narrative on industry internships and by lowering the barriers to entry, we see this as our contribution to enabling more young professionals to join the industry.
As part of this commitment, we recently welcomed Daisy Kennedy, final year English literature student from the University of York into the Yasper fold, to learn all about our approach to working with clients and a potential career in PR and communications entails…

As my final year of university began to loom, pressures to decide on my following career became more substantial. Never having done any work experience in PR before, I decided to send out emails to as many agencies as I could find, both in Yorkshire and London. Despite being an industry based on networking, I found my initial search for work experience disheartening; agencies were often not interested in offering placements, and if they were, they were often long and unpaid - something which is difficult for a student to commit to.
When I came across Yasper, I was delighted to receive a notably more enthusiastic response to my email. I was interested in the agency due to it being smaller in size, and it being a relatively young business; I felt that learning within this kind of environment would be more beneficial for me and my future career. After arranging a video call, where Jules discussed his own experience in the industry, I was offered a two-week placement at the agency where I would be able to work for Yasper, and learn the valuable necessities for a job in PR.
Before beginning the two weeks, the team asked whether there was anything I felt would be important for my work. With this, they were able to create a more personal experience which would suit myself and Yasper’s current client base.
In my first week, I was mentored by Jules and Bethany on the agency’s processes and approach to client work; from opportunities to draft and work on press releases and sitting in on client meetings, to setting my own research projects, there was so point where I felt confined to one specific task.
Learning how to develop client relations was one aspect that I was particularly keen to find out more about. The importance of a strong relationship with a client seems secondary in in some sectors, but shadowing the Yasper team over the last two weeks made me realise how committed they are to maintaining their rapport with clients, and I was glad to have experience this first-hand. It meant there was more integration of the work I did into the client field, and I learnt about various industries and sectors that I would have otherwise overlooked prior to joining Yasper (the built environment being one!).
I was given more freedom in the second week, oscillating between various tasks, not being pressured to complete tasks in a certain timeframe. I was given the chance to write blog pieces and work on client social media schedules; sitting in on the team’s end of month meeting and joining Yasper’s sister agency, Umpf for its ‘last Thursday club’ made me feel like I had been well integrated into both teams.
Given the size of the agency, I had a more personal experience than I might have had than somewhere with a larger number of employees. Rather than feeling as though I was carrying out two weeks of undergraduate work experience, I felt welcomed by the team and the work I completed was appreciated.
The last two weeks have offered me indispensable knowledge as I move from university into my career, and I look forward to seeing where I go next!