My name is Pauline Florijn and I’m in my third year of the Communication Science Bachelor program. After spending a bigger part of my bachelor in Covid-19 period, I was super excited to do my internship and gaining new experiences. A few things were on my list: office based in Amsterdam, fashion focused, preferably a well-regarded agency, main activities where my socials skills would come in handy and not too corporate. It did not take long, or Public Relations made it to the cut. After having a few interviews (a relatively small amount for how many e-mails I sent out, thus take this in mind when you’re applying), I eventually chose Spice PR. I had a fun interview via Zoom, I knew they had made a name for themselves and the girl from Spice told me it would look very good at my resume. They had a small office on the canals of Amsterdam, a female owner and a relatively young and small team. I was sold. 4 days a week for 250 euros a month. During my first week, I was working at Amsterdam Fashion Week, which was really cool to see the behind the scenes and felt like a good start. I did notice already that the stereotypical portray of the “mean girl” inside this particular scene was not exaggerated. Sadly, this did not change much during my time at Spice PR. This might differ for other agencies, but Spice PR definitely contributes to this image. I can only advice, that for my experience, the fashion scene is a tough industry, which may not be for everyone.
My daily activities consisted mostly of doing market research (meaning: going on TikTok and Instagram) and reporting of clippings. Clippings are coverage pieces (print, online, social media) on the represented brands of the agency. However, you can be more hands on if you’re ready to take on more responsibility. You can help out/attend events and meet a lot of people. Working in PR will definitely be a boost for your social contacts, because you will meet a lot of people in a fast pace. Don’t be shy and introduce yourself!
Something I underestimated was the amount of desk work. The picture that is portrayed in the movies is not exactly what it is like. At least, not for an intern… Be aware you will not be as out and about as you might expect. You will need to work with a lot of deadline and time pressured things, but if you manage to do it all: you might get an adrenaline rush from it.
All in all, (fashion) PR is a demanding job and may not be for everyone, but if you identify yourself as a social butterfly who likes to challenge themselves, it might just be it for you!