Taking it a month at a time…

GCS apprentice, Olivia Frost, shares her experiences from her first month at HM Land Registry

Getting corporate comms experience

I’m currently one month into an 18-month NVQ level 4 PR and Communications apprenticeship. So far, I’ve really enjoyed it and been involved in much more than I ever thought I would.

Before I started working at HM Land Registry I had no experience of corporate comms. My first ‘real’ job was an admin role, which is worlds away from PR and communications, so the thought of stepping straight into the Land Registry comms team was enormously daunting. On my first day I had a steady stream of thoughts running through my head. Am I capable of doing this? Will I enjoy it? Very soon, I realised I should stop worrying.

My first day was a blur of names, faces and passwords, but straight away I felt comfortable around my colleagues. I was darted around the office doing various meet and greets, hopelessly trying to put names to faces. The team were hugely welcoming and happy to answer my many questions.

I’ve been included in so many projects already, which has helped me to start understanding the complex world of corporate comms. One of my favourite tasks was helping to storyboard and film a video for Digital Mortgage on only my third day in the office. I hadn’t realised the vast range of work that is carried out within one team.

The month has flown by and I have learnt so much in the short time I’ve been here. So many words and acronyms, which a short while ago meant absolutely nothing to me, hold such importance to my daily working life now.

Currently I am working within the digital communications team and have been involved with HM Land Registry’s social media output and input, updating our social media policy and assembling the Life Members newsletter, which is released quarterly. This required working alongside the graphics design team.

An apprenticeship that really involved me

I didn’t think I would be so heavily involved in the work the team carry out, especially so early on in my apprenticeship. Knowing I am trusted to carry out support tasks for campaigns has boosted my confidence immensely and helped me to settle into the role much earlier that I anticipated.

I have also already been offered opportunities to network and learn outside of the office. I attended the Now You Know Brandwatch event, where I got to listen to speakers giving us insight into the world of digital media. The day was very insightful and displayed the variety of avenues communications offer, something I’d love to explore further down the line of my career. I am looking forward to the many more opportunities Land Registry has to offer during my time here.

I’ve also had the opportunity to make a day in the life video, which you can check out below.

My introduction into corporate comms couldn’t have been better, and I am positive this is down to my wonderful colleagues. I’m excited to carry on learning so much more. Roll on the next 17 months!

Watch the video: a day in a life of an apprentice (1 minutes 41)