My day differs depending on the team I am working with. For the first two weeks I worked with the Public Affairs team and the last two weeks with the Corporate Communications team.

A typical day working with the Public Affairs team consists of checking the news and parliamentary announcements, stakeholder mapping and sector research. This has provided me with a more cohesive understanding of government affairs and I have enjoyed the wide range of research I have completed. Areas I covered included cryptocurrency, pensions, digital banking, payments and defence. I would also sit in client meetings with the FinTech team which was exciting for me, as I have a passion for FinTech, having worked as a correspondent for the University College London (UCL) FinTech society. It was so rewarding seeing the research I worked on informing wider strategy and working with expert colleagues on complex issues across multiple sectors.

There is a weekly all-hands morning meeting where key updates are shared from each area of the Public Affairs team which helped me understand the diverse expertise of the team. Within this meeting, there are “shout-outs” celebrating colleagues who have gone above and beyond in the past week, which was so refreshing to see and highlights the team culture at Cicero/amo.

I then continued to work on my allocated tasks, flagging any issues or asking questions to my manager and other colleagues. They have all been so helpful and responsive which has been great in making me feel settled. I have especially enjoyed meeting the team and jumping on calls with account executives as a way to reconnect.

The day ends with a quick roundup of current workload to my manager to ensure everyone is aware of what I am working on and what I can take on. Before logging off I double check my to-do list and cross of tasks I have completed – which is always a satisfying feeling!

Having worked in the Corporate Communications team for the last two weeks, I still monitor the news, but focus on the stories I deem important or related to current issues. The team have a group chat which is great as all the account executives share key news stories which provides me with greater understanding of current issues. I got to write copy and can now confidently draft press releases. I have been given opportunities to sit in client meetings and it has been insightful to see how the work I am undertaking with the team is creating a lasting positive impact.

Some important tasks I have also completed include creating and refining media lists, liaising with journalists, and creating event calendars to identify opportunities that could strategically boost media relations. I can now confidently state that I have a real understanding of the media landscape across different sectors and a greater understanding of corporate communications. Before logging off, I again check my emails to make sure I haven’t missed anything important and check my calendar on the next day’s meetings.

Click here to read a Q&A where Khadra reflects on her time at Cicero/amo, including the work she is proudest of, the most interesting part of her internship and the five key take-aways.

This internship was organised through the Taylor Bennett Foundation’s summer stars programme. The Taylor Bennett Foundation is a charity that exists to encourage black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) graduates to pursue a career in communications, seeking to address the need for greater diversity in the public relations industry.

If you would like to find out more about similar opportunities at Cicero/amo, please do get in touch.