There’s only so much a degree can teach you, and though I’m currently in my final year at the University of Huddersfield studying Media Studies, there’s no academic module that gives you hands-on experience in the workplace, especially in a busy, growing marketing agency.

But that’s just what I got at ilk. I hope to pursue a career in digital marketing after my studies, so I jumped at the chance to undertake work experience with the comms team. My initial research revealed a lot of positive values – it’s a modern environment, the team looked friendly and the workspace seemed fun and unique. There’s a ping pong table by the front door, which is a good start.

So what did I do, and what did I learn? One of my favourite tasks was Friday’s ‘media monitoring’ – surveying the media landscape online to see what was going on in the world, the trends, the memes, the news and views. This was presented back to the team to help inform their work with all sorts of clients across PR and social. Another rewarding task was writing press releases, something I feel I’ve never been the best at. I was really happy to have one of my press releases published online via ilk, which I then followed up with the press resulting in achieving a 1 million readership across four key newspapers. It really made me believe I could have a future in the industry.

One key lesson was how much a strong and positive work ethic gets results. I was shown that it’s OK to make mistakes, minor or major, because the team around you aren’t there to see you fail or get one up on you. They’re there to help so that we can all succeed together. I never felt like I was doing a meaningless task and my contribution was always welcomed. The team works hard, keeps to deadlines and delivers great work, which was a great environment to be a part of.

The routine was flexible, with a mix of office and working from home, which I found useful thanks to transport issues. Even though I was nervous to start with, everyone was welcoming and the atmosphere was friendly and fun within the office. Everyone really made me feel at home. I’d recommend a work placement at ilk to anyone! It’s really helped me see the bigger picture, and to take a more methodical approach too. ilk is absolutely somewhere I could see myself making a positive impact in the future.