Babel PR’s graduate scheme is open – apply now!

The closing date of Babel’s graduate scheme is almost upon us, and I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know what the process is like from the perspective of someone who’s already been through it.

I applied for the Babel Grad Scheme back in early 2013. After submitting my application I was soon contacted by Narelle Morrison, Managing Director. Following a phone interview, I was invited into the office to meet a few different members of the team and to do a few tests, such as writing a press release and pitching a mock news story.

The most surprising thing about it all though, was that throughout the process I was always made to feel at ease and comfortable in my surroundings; the only pressure on me was the pressure I put on myself.

What is it like working at Babel?

Since starting at Babel, I haven’t been thrown in at the deep end, as I thought might happen. In fact, when I look back on the past few months, I see how every aspect in my workload has been part of a concerted effort to ease me into my respective teams as smoothly as possible. I have known for some time that PR was what I wanted to do, but that did not mean that I knew how to do it, and my superiors at Babel have been fantastic at building up my various responsibilities over the past few months. I’m kept constantly busy – this job definitely suits the type of person who can deal with pretty relentless pressure and a never-ending to-do list.

Since starting at Babel I’ve been put on a variety of different tasks, such as drafting press releases, pitching to journalists, participating in brainstorms with the rest of the team, and conducting research on potential new clients. We’re expanding and taking on new business all the time; in fact, if you’ve found yourself here reading my blog post, you probably already know that Babel is Europe’s fastest growing technology PR specialist. I’ve quickly been made to feel like a valuable, fully-fledged member of the team. While there are clear hierarchical divisions between the different employees it never extends into the social sphere, and we all get along at Friday night drinks.

Why did I join Babel?

We all sign up for jobs for a variety of reasons, but ultimately you want to work for a company you can be proud of – one whose names carries respect within the industry. I realised only very recently how lucky I was landing the job at Babel PR when I received a rather belated email response from a recruiter. I decided to honour his message with a short reply, explaining that while his job offer seemed interesting I was already gainfully employed, plying my trade at Babel.

His reply, then, was flattering to say the least. At the mention of Babel, the hopeful, positive tone of the sales pitch disappeared. Realising he’d met with a serious stumbling block, the pretence of his pitch went out the window, and he freely admitted he would not be able to offer me anything better: “Oh, Babel? Yeah, they’re really great; definitely one of the best in the business. I’d stick with them if you can.”

Mention of Babel carries respect within this industry, and is rightly a company one should be proud to work for. If you’re looking for something to get excited about, you should know that we’re expanding into the United States as I write this, and a Babel office is due to open in San Francisco in the very near future. It really is an exciting time to be a part of this company, and if you’d like to be a part of it, I’d urge you to apply for the graduate scheme as soon as possible. You never know where a career with Babel PR could take you.

The Babel PR Grad Scheme closes on 28th February.