Satnam Mudhar; My Summer Internship at Pure Media

Words cannot describe how appreciative I am of each person in the Pure team who spent their own time to teach me their knowledge and understanding in planning and buying.  In a tough employment market I could not believe I was given such a great opportunity to learn.

Whilst being a full-time student at university my perception of the media industry was very theoretical and perhaps also quite narrow. I was certain that my degree would lead me into a career in communications, PR or journalism. I hadn’t even considered a career as a planner and buyer of media – probably because I didn’t even know it existed!

When I first started my internship in June I was under the impression that I would be handed a junior role – one that would involve me conducting the stereotypical work experience responsibilities… i.e. photocopying and making coffee.

Instead I was thrown straight into the deep end! As I started to carry out a wide range of tasks, I began to see the level of commitment and responsibility needed when engaging in a multi-dimensional and volatile media industry.

I began to learn about the different aspects of advertising in media including the fundamental differences between press, TV, radio and online media; understanding how each affects a target audience.

I was trained to use specific tools and software essential to media planning and buying and had exposure to various theories of marketing. Nielsen, Mediatel and Google Analytics are just a fraction of the tools I used when conducting my work experience. Although I was aware of the basics I became increasingly competent at using Microsoft tools such as Excel.

Working with a talented, hard working media team in the agency enabled me to build on my team working skills. I was lucky enough to have been given the responsibility of talking to external contacts and furthermore learnt to practice a range of communication skills needed when researching and making media plans for our clients.

I was also given the privilege of participating in some of Pure’s social media activities such as the #PureQuoteOfTheDay on the Twitter and LinkedIn as well as other social media scheduling.

My time with Pure has been a extremely enjoyable one and I am highly grateful to the team for this opportunity. As I embark on going back into my into my final year of university I aim to take these skills I have learnt and develop myself into a fully fledged media professional.

And who knows, the association between Pure and I could be one to be continued…..