Here at C8 we focus on how we can bring fresh talent into the industry and this includes taking work experience students from a number of the local colleges in the area. One such person, who has just completed two weeks with C8, is Greg. Here is what he learnt during his time with us.
I’ve joined the C8 team for two weeks this December to get a better understanding of the inner workings of the PR industry.
Joining C8 for this short period has opened my eyes to the general business world, allowed me to work more independently and have the chance to experience a taste of PR and what it entails. It’s an enjoyable working environment to exist in and feels safe, the team are all very welcoming too!
This is my second time doing work experience as part of my course at Berkshire College of Agriculture, where I study Media Production and have already completed 2 years of coursework. Right now, I’m in my third year where I need to consider different career paths and what part of media production I want to follow. It’s been a huge learning curve working with businesses, like C8, to gain more experience and over the past few months I have uncovered new passions. I’ve realised that at the end of the day everything boils down to mindset and how you decide to react to the situations put in front of you.
New skill: News-jacking
In my two weeks at C8 I’ve learnt new skills and started to pick up some of the tricks of the trade, including how to ‘news-jack’. I have been news-jacking for one of C8’s clients, VMWare Carbon Black, and monitoring the news for relevant stories to bring to the company’s attention. News-jacking, essentially, means highlighting crucial stories on a daily basis to provide a general understanding of the news agenda in the sector, as well as identifying opportunities for the client to comment and share its expertise. So, as part of my daily routine every morning at C8 I search the web for the most relevant and fresh news stories which linked back to VMWare Carbon Black and the cybersecurity industry.
I found this really interesting and it was highly informative in terms of the future challenges that companies could face in 2020 with the surge of 5G technology, and the increase in automated systems that could make organisations more susceptible to hacking or data breaches. Even in 2019, large conglomerate companies are constantly suffering major data breaches and cyberattacks from hackers all around the world.
Insightful Interviews
Aside from news-jacking, the team involved me in their weekly calls with clients and I supported social media content creation. On one of the days, however, I joined C8’s founder and Managing Director Paula to support a number of corporate interviews with Thames Valley business leaders, taking minutes and transcribing the interviews that will be included in the next Thames Valley Business Barometer report. This is a collaboration between BDO LLP and C8 that provides a snapshot of business and economic confidence in the Thames Valley twice a year.
The interviews were interesting and detailed plans for their business going forward into 2020, the size of their company and how Brexit could impact their business. Coming along to these interviews rewarded me with insight on business life, what challenges they need to overcome and what it means to be successful and sustain a company. 
All in all, my experience at C8 has been great and has significantly helped me to want to broaden my interests and discover what business opportunities exist in the field of PR and marketing.
For more information about how C8 Consulting can help to create compelling campaigns and kick-start conversations for your business in 2020, contact us.