Insights of an Intern

Sophie Currah

I remember receiving the call in May to tell me I had been accepted to take on a Seven Hills internship. I was delighted by the news – although to have successfully stepped-up to become a full-time Campaign Executive as a result has been even more exciting!

The word ‘intern’ can undeniably conjure negative connotations – worried about how much time you will be spending at the kettle or in front of the photocopier. I arrived on my first day and was pleasantly surprised to do little of either – discovering early on that life as a Seven Hills intern is fast-paced and full on.

I was thrown into the deep end from day one; pitching ideas to boost social media engagement, taking part in client events, preparing briefing documents, and joining the daily newspaper reviews.

My Seven Hills intern experience strengthened my passion for current affairs and my understanding of issue-based businesses. It also opened my eyes to working with sectors that I did not know I was interested in.

Coming from a background in politics, I found myself naturally edging towards a career in communications and PR, but was petrified by the huge world of tech. Little did I know, I would finish my four-week internship with a newfound love for tech, and the innovation and entrepreneurialism that comes with it.

When I was hired, I knew this would be a fantastic place to kick-start my career, develop my professional skills and learn so much more about the business world. I haven’t had a dull day since joining, and I’d recommend the internship to anyone who is considering it. You won’t regret it.

Mission Bootcamp

Throughout the year we run a number of Mission Bootcamps, these are day long workshops where we invite undergraduates to spend the day learning the skills of campaigning, before allowing them to try them out in fun, real world challenges.

At the end of the day, they pitch their ideas to the entire Seven Hills team. It’s not only a practical and engaging day but is how we spot young emerging talent to fuel our graduate programme.

Each year we appoint Campus Ambassadors from a number of Universities who are responsible for talent spotting undergraduates and help us to reach out the the student community.

Learning to swim in the TLA deep end

Matic Boh

When I joined Seven Hills in April 2017, it did not take long to realise that Tech London Advocates and its founder Russ Shaw held a special place in the campaigning mosaic of the firm. Russ and his mission to champion London tech is one of the most exciting campaigns to be a part of and I was delighted to join the TLA team shortly after becoming a fully-fledged Campaign Executive.

I quickly slotted into the well-oiled media machine that underpins the account, with reactive commentary, media briefings and opinion pieces coming thick and fast.

It was a special time to join the campaign, as TLA was expanding on a global scale and would soon begin to plan for the Tech World Tour – a gathering of tech experts from around the world, celebrating London’s unique position as the beating heart of a global tech ecosystem.

Suddenly, I was on the frontline of bringing the media’s attention to TLA’s biggest event to date. While it was certainly a challenge, the event was also the most exhilarating and rewarding experience of my time at Seven Hills so far.

There’s no such thing as a quiet day working with TLA – and I have enjoyed every minute of it!

See more of TLA here.