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Starting a new job will always be a little nerve wrecking. However, when I started my apprenticeship at ADPR, I had a global pandemic to contend with too!

I started at the beginning of March, with just two weeks to establish myself at the office before working from home due to a national lockdown. Here are some of my thoughts and tips.

Starting at ADPR

So, to say the least, the start of my career in public relations and working at ADPR has been a little different than I anticipated! I found myself at ADPR having finished college where I achieved three A-Levels. I was searching for the perfect career, hoping to find something that combined my love for both writing and people, as well as something that gave me the opportunity to carry on studying for further qualifications. I really hit the jackpot when I landed the job at ADPR, in the role of a Public Relations Apprentice, as it involves working full time, gaining hands-on experience, whilst also studying with the PRCA for a Level 4 Foundation Degree qualification in Public Relations and Communications. With a start date at the beginning of March, I was overcome with emotion at having landed my dream job!

The Covid chaos begins

Working at ADPR has so far been the best experience of my life, despite the challenges a global pandemic presented! I was lucky to have those first two weeks in the office to help me find my feet and help me to quickly adapt to the fast-paced environment of PR. I honestly have learnt more in a day at ADPR than I think I ever have before! Starting a new career path, having never learnt about or worked in public relations before, meant there was a lot to take in. What I did not imagine, though, is after two weeks at the office we would have to start working from home.

Thankfully, I had already started to get to grips with the job in the couple of weeks I was physically in the office. And I cannot stress enough how much effort the team have all put in to make it the most enjoyable role I have ever had. Although the situation for all of us is very out of the ordinary, as a team we have navigated these uncertain times together. Friday night quizzes have become a regular occurrence, as well as evening drinks, to allow some time for out-of-work chat. Our Whatsapp group has become filled with sharing funny, relatable posts about self-isolation, and photos of what we are up to. These things have really helped me to build relationships within the team.

The apprenticeship must go on!

Luckily, the apprenticeship side of things was also still able to go ahead. I met my tutor from the PRCA virtually, and I have continued the journey to a Level 4 qualification. I was eager to jump straight, in as one benefit of lockdown is having extra time (and a lot of it!). In the evenings and weekends, I would usually be socialising with friends, but lockdown has allowed me to focus on completing the projects in the apprenticeship.

Overall, it is a scary time for us all, and starting a new job during Covid-19 has obviously created some unfamiliar ground. But with the support and kindness of the ADPR team, they have made this unconventional new start to my role more enjoyable than I could have ever imagined, particularly given the circumstances! And I would have never thought, after only physically being with everyone for a grand total of two weeks, how much a part of the team I feel!

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking a crisis won’t happen to your business. You are just one click away from giving yourself long term peace of mind with our Crisis Management Success service. We promise it will be worth it!

The Department of Commerce states that 70% of smaller companies go out of business within just one year of experiencing a crisis – we think this is enough of a reason to be prepared! Our Crisis PR 101 guide will give you the tools you need to develop a crisis plan that will protect your business when a crisis strikes. As well as the guide you’ll get top tips from experts to give you more support in building a futureproof plan for your business.

Kira x