TogoRun has a New Intern

Last week my unnaturally loud phone woke me at the lovely hour of 6am. Trying to pull myself together I realized the caller id on my phone said "unknown" so I figured it oculd only be someone from London giving me a ring. It was my internship cordinator from Harrow University calling to congratulate me on landing the internship with TogoRun PR! My half asleep self was very excited to officially accept the intership.

TogoRun is a healthcare and pharmaceutical PR firm whose parent company is Fleishman Hillard. Fleishman is a very well known and respected firm worldwide so I knew that this internship would be a great opportunity.

When I spoke with the representative from TogoRun  she experessed that during my itnernship I'll get to to draft press releases, compile media lists, attend client planning meetings and other hands on things. Since the office is medium sized I hope that it will be a fantastic way to gain experience while also seeing how a larger company works.

I officially start my internship the week of January 16th so I'm anxiously waiting to get started...and get to London!

17 days to go!

One Step Closer to London

With my visa documents sent (FINALLY) and two interviews complete, the fact that I'll be off to London in less than a month is starting to feel more real.

During my interviews I was a little too excited to hear my interviewers British accent on the other side of the phone. It kinda made it sink in that I'll actually be working in an office while abroad and become a part of the work setting and culture there.

Both interviews went very well but I'm still waiting to hear back. They asked the basic interview questions and were really interested in my experience with my current internship at Check, Please!..so I took it as a good sign.  Being able to get into a PR agency setting is  a great step for me and my future career and being able to experience this while abroad just turns up the cool factor.

While thinking about the possibility of a future internship opportunity is fun, I could not forget that all important VISA that I first and foremost need to even be able to work abroad. I had to fill out many and I mean many forms and I even had to get fingerprinted to complete my application. (guess I won't be able to go too crazy while in London (darn)). I mailed all my documents and even my passport to the British consulate in New York. It was kinda nerve wracking to send my passport off in the mail but I was relieved when I received my confirmation that it arrived.

I'm one step closer to London and getting that British accent.

26 days till London!

Study Abroad Round Two

It's bittersweet to think that a year ago today I set off for a journey of a lifetime to study abroad for three weeks in Morocco. I saw amazing sites that will forever be ingrained in my memory, faced many cultural blunders, but most importantly I made friends and memories that I know will always stick with me.

As the short  program left a great impression, I knew I wanted to participate in a longer program to gain a more in depth experience of a culture. With that said I am truly excited to see what the next five months abroad in London have in store for me.

I'll be studying abroad at the University of Westminster from this coming January till May. While in London I'll be living in a dorm at the Harrow Campus (a small suburb just north of London) and taking three communications related courses. An exciting component of my program is that I'll also have a part time Public Relations internship along with my classes. I am currently in the process of having my resume reviewed by related companies in London. I even have my first phone interview this Friday...may I add bright and early at 7AM! The interview is with New Century Media, a small London based PR firm. I've been doing my research and they work with corporate, city and political clients so I'm definitely interested in learning more about the company during my interview. I've also been told from a friend that the office has a view of the London Eye.... so not a bad bonus!

I'm looking forward to using the next month to prep for my time abroad by reading up on London and the UK and even get ideas together for weekend trips.

I look forward to having you with me as I blog about this once in a lifetime journey.

Cheers!

(P.S. The British lingo starts now!)