My Time at Morrows- Emma Devlin

When I graduated Queen’s University, armed with a degree in English and French, I hadn’t the slightest idea what I wanted to do. As career goals go, saying “Booker-Prize-by-twenty-five” to a friend when you’re thirteen just doesn’t cut it. Besides, I was 23 and that stellar writing career wasn’t going in quite the direction I’d hoped (read: going nowhere). I knew I wanted something dynamic, something creative, something fulfilling. But what?

Looking for some inspiration, I signed up to the GAP programme, a work experience scheme for graduates, who placed me with Morrow Communications for three months. With no prior experience in Public Relations (“you make people look good, right?”), I knew I was in for a huge learning curve.

Luckily, the staff at Morrow’s are a friendly bunch, and from day one I felt included in the team. With their guidance, I worked on client projects for companies like Moy Park, which gave me a unique opportunity to see the kind of hard work and preparation that goes into every successful PR campaign.  

I made the most of my time at Morrow’s, and I think I’ve learned a lot about the industry. For example, I have a much better idea of the relationship between PR and the media. Before I began at Morrow’s, the only thing I knew about PR professionals was that they sent press releases to journalists. Writing press releases, attending photocalls and contacting newspapers for myself has taught me that there is much more to it than that.

I’ve got plenty of memorable moments to choose from. From going to a pop-up farm to glamming up a pair of rubber gloves for a photo-shoot, no two days were ever the same. But if I had to choose, it would be the first time I saw one of my press releases appear in a local newspaper. While it wasn’t a big story, I took a lot of care to make it as lively and engaging as I could. It was a lot of fun to write – I got to exercise my pun muscle – and seeing it in print was hugely gratifying. 

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the Morrow Communications team. I feel privileged to have been placed with a talented and hardworking group of people who made a complete novice like me feel welcome. This experience has not only given me valuable insight into the PR industry, but also helped to shape my goals for the future.

Emma Devlin