Six Lessons Learned in Six Months

By Molly Burchell, Account Executive
30th November 2021
Our newest team member discusses what she has learned so far at Minerva.

 

This month, I am celebrating my sixth month working as an Account Executive at Minerva Communications UK. This is my first job out of university that has kick-started my ‘Communications Career’ journey. I will be sharing six lessons I have learned in my six months of being here.

1.Setting goals and tracking progress

Setting goals is really important for career development, tracking progression and self-motivation. That’s why in my first couple of months at Minerva, I sat down with my Director, Rhonda Smith to set a few short-term goals to help me ease into my role within the company. At my 3-month review, Rhonda expressed how she was pleased with my performance and subsequently a range of new short and long-term goals were agreed to assist my progression.

I am continuing to achieve my goals and have found them beneficial in tracking my personal progress and growth at Minerva.

Molly Burchell, Account Executive
Virgina Neal, Mimi Saville, Rhonda Smith & Molly Burchell attending the Test Valley Business Awards 2021
2. Organise. Organise!

As someone who tries hard to convince myself that I am an organised person; unfortunately, it doesn’t come as naturally to me as I’d hoped. Therefore, I had to focus on taking my time to organise and prioritise my tasks efficiently. To overcome this, every morning I start a fresh page in my notepad and devise a list of daily tasks- always ensuring I check off the completed tasks with a big tick. So satisfying!

3. Less is more

Quality over quantity has been one of the most vital lessons I have learned at Minerva. If you can write something that can be communicated in one sentence, then do just that!

4. Know your strengths, acknowledge your weaknesses

The transition from university to work life is hard, especially in a job that I am passionate about. With this added pressure, I found it difficult to know when to accept I had finished a task. I quickly realised identifying my strengths and acknowledging my weaknesses helped with completing my work. My weaknesses have now become goals to work towards and improve on!

5. Company Culture is key

Company culture is part of the job. Being able to fit in with the team on a more personable level is very important. Although the job role and responsibilities are ultimately what drew me in, it was also important that I enjoyed the company ethos.

Minerva is built up of a small team, but we do not shy away from having fun. I was lucky enough to start full-time in the office, and I can honestly say there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t laugh. (Disclaimer: all work is completed to a very high standard).

The team are passionate about the services we deliver and works hard to reflect company goals. We have regular business meetings where we all get a chance to share our voice and pitch new ideas for the business (I really value a company that listens). And we can’t forget the motivational, local coffee and pastries that help fuel these important discussions!

Rhonda Smith, Amanda Beard & Molly Burchell representing Minerva Communications at The Army Flying Museum, Wallop Wheels and Wings event
6. Keep learning

After being tied into education for what seems to be a very long time, I was keen not to have to sit an exam or write an essay again. I swiftly realised that this would not be the case and ultimately, the learning never stops. However, I am eager to discover new, innovative ways to engage with target audiences and further expand my knowledge within PR and Communications through future courses. The team are fantastic and always willing to help me when in need. I have learned a lot in my six months, and I no doubt will continue to learn new things everyday!

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