As Account Manager at a small and supposedly ethical PR agency, I worked across diverse client communications challenges including web development, media relations, internal communications audits, brand strategy development, and schools outreach programmes. This role was a trial by fire and provided crucial early experience in client relationship management and strategic communications.

Responsibilities

The role was broad, exposing me to multiple aspects of communications and marketing:

• Client relationship management - serving as primary contact for key accounts
• Web development projects - working with technical teams on client websites
• Media relations - developing and executing PR strategies
• Internal communications - auditing and improving organisational communications
• Brand strategy - contributing to strategic brand development work
• Schools outreach - designing and delivering educational programmes

Skill development

This early agency experience was foundational in developing core professional skills:

• Project management across multiple concurrent client projects
• Strategic thinking applied to communications challenges
• Client consultation and relationship building
• Cross-functional collaboration with creative and technical teams
• Understanding different sector requirements and contexts

What I learned

Working on internal communications audits provided early insight into organisational change challenges - how difficult it can be for businesses to communicate effectively even within their own teams. This experience planted the seeds for later interest in transformation and change management.

I also witnessed severe dysfunction in the running of the agency itself. Too much responsibility was placed on the young shoulders of myself and other colleagues. More than anything I learned the importance of care and support for people's mental wellbeing, things which were absent at this agency.

Foundation for entrepreneurship

The breadth of experience at the agency - from technical web work to strategic brand thinking - provided the diverse skill set that would prove essential when later founding Human. Understanding multiple aspects of the communications landscape helped inform the integrated approach we would take to client challenges.