My placement year at The Jargon Group

By: Amelia Darlow, Junior Account Executive

I’m Amelia, a Marketing Communications student at Bournemouth University, currently completing my placement year as a Junior Account Executive at The Jargon Group. After two years of my university course, I was keen to put my knowledge into practice, applying this to real-world situations and gaining valuable industry-relevant skills. As it is coming to the end of my placement year with The Jargon Group, I wanted to reflect on everything I’ve learned so far! 

Prior to joining The Jargon Group, I had no direct experience in PR. However, I can proudly say, over the past year, my confidence in the industry has grown significantly. I’ve gained valuable hands-on experience and developed a wide range of skills that I can take with me into the future. While there’s plenty I’ve learned so far, I’m aware there’s still lots more to explore and improve on, which makes me excited for the future to build on this foundation.  

Throughout my role, I’ve worked with clients specialising in B2B technology across a variety of sectors, including retail tech, cybersecurity, the channel, automotive, supply chain, manufacturing, aviation/travel tech, and more. I also worked with consumer clients, enabling me to diversify my PR experience. My day-to-day responsibilities varied depending on client’s needs, but generally, my core tasks included:   

• Media relations: Engaging with relevant publications and pitching to journalists, while building relationships and securing opportunities for clients  

• News monitoring: Tracking trending news stories to identify opportunities for news hijacking and highlighting any live media coverage 

• Client and team communication: Liaising with clients and providing regular activity updates through emails and client calls. I’d also flag potential opportunities to the internal team, keep them updated on task status and share ideas 

• Content creation: This was a key responsibility. Consisted of writing long and short-form content such as blogs, through leadership articles, reactive comments, Q&As and social media posts 

• Research and industry knowledge: Conducted in-depth research on clients and their sectors to stay informed on relevant industry trends and emerging topics. I’d also research awards, events and opportunities that aligned with clients’ interests to support their PR activities 

Some of the key highlights from my year at The Jargon Group include travelling to London and attending industry events. I had the opportunity to support a client at eCommerce Expo at the ExCeL, where I networked with attendees, helped the client with seamless press office and noted valuable insights for future content. I also attended the same client’s private event in London, where I met them in person, listened to expert panel discussions and took away ideas to support upcoming campaign plans.  

I’m proud of securing coverage for clients in top-tier publications such as TechRadar, Forbes, Computer Weekly and more. Seeing coverage in these publications, knowing I had achieved this, has been a very rewarding feeling.  

I’m also grateful for the chance I had to gain exposure to the new-business side of PR. I travelled to London again to support the team during an in-person pitch for a potential client – something I didn’t expect to be involved with so early on into PR. This experience gave me useful insights into what goes into pitching and winning new clients.  

And finally, The Jargon Group also hosted a number of team socials that enabled me to get to know my colleagues better outside of the office! 

Overall, my placement year has exceeded my expectations. I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in many different aspects of PR and develop a wide range of new skills. It’s been a pleasure working alongside such dedicated and supportive teams whom I’ve learned so much from. Even during the busiest times, they always took the time to offer support and guidance wherever I needed it.  

Looking ahead, I feel more confident and well-prepared to enter the real world of work after university. I’m genuinely looking forward to starting my career and seeing what’s next!