Hello hello!
Kerry here, one of Honest’s new account executives, and I’ve just finished my first (full-time) month on the team! The time has flown by unbelievably quickly, and I’ve loved every minute learning about all things gardening, growing, and getting a picture-perfect lawn! Here’s a little rundown of what I got up to in the first few weeks of the role and how I ended up in the world of PR.
I have always enjoyed writing, being creative and social media, so when I stumbled across the PR and Communications degree at the University of Lincoln, I instantly knew I’d found what I wanted to do. During my second year, I was offered a role as a PR and Communications intern on the L’Oréal Professional Paris team. I was delighted and quickly made the exciting move from my family home in Derbyshire, to a flat in London – which was quite a big shock to the system!
My internship was an incredible experience and I learnt all about running a PR office, working with social media influencers, protecting a corporate brand reputation, and generating advocacy and engagement. I helped with new product launches, London Fashion Week (amongst other fashion shows and shoots) and did too many PR mailers and influencer send outs to count!
Mid-way through my final year, I began looking for a graduate role and as soon as I saw Honest’s job advert for an Account Executive, I knew I’d found my dream position. Being brought up on the doorstep of the Peak District and spending my childhood growing all sorts of flowers and vegetables with my Grandad, I was thrilled to find an opportunity where I could combine my love of nature with my passion for creating content. I was over the moon to be offered the role and began part-time in April whilst I finished up my university degree.
My first day at the job was exciting and nerve-wracking but I couldn’t wait to get stuck in! In my first few weeks, I learnt all about our amazing clients and their brilliant product ranges, researched industry trends, and mapped out key media, journalists, and influencers. However, the highlight of my new role had to be meeting the incredible team behind Honest, who are not only experts at what they do, but always friendly and happy to help. After submitting my dissertation and finishing off my final university assignments my degree was finished, and I joined the team full-time – the week of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show!
As Holly and Beth headed off to Cheslea, I held down the fort to celeb spot and handle our social media accounts. I also got stuck in on some client work, writing a blog and press release for Cobra and creating some social media posts for Oxenwood. During my second week, I met a few of our clients and I was so pleased to see how many of the meetings involved pet-chat!
I can’t believe I’ve already been here a month and I’ve loved getting involved in all the client work. My time has been packed full of meetings, writing blogs, e-shots, and press releases, creating social media assets, reaching out to journalists, and building client reports.
My favourite working day so far has to be attending BBC Gardeners’ World Live for the first time and seeing all the beautiful garden designs and floral displays. Each day has bought new challenges and opportunities to hone my skills and I can’t help but feel excited by every successful project or positive piece of feedback. I am really enjoying working in such a varied role with plenty of tasks to keep me busy. I’ve learnt an abundance of new skills and I’m looking forward to soaking up the team’s expertise and finding out even more about the world of horticulture and gardening!
