Internship Profile: Shyaan Hasnain at Project Associates
Shyaan is a recent graduate of the General Course interning at Project Associates in London.
How did you find this internship opportunity?
After attending the LSE Consultancy Fair last year, I became increasingly drawn to consultancy. I compiled a list of consultancy firms ranging in size and speciality. Communications consultancy appealed to me, as it best fits my interests and skill set. In the midst of my research, I found Project Associates in an online internship search for communications consultancy companies.
As an International Relations student, I was looking for an opportunity to engage in crisis management and international politics. Project Associates has an international practice that offers strategic communications and public diplomacy services for governments and political clients. As a pre-law student at my home institution, Wellesley College, I was seeking greater exposure to litigation work. Project Associate’s corporate practice offered expert ligation support.
What do your day-to-day responsibilities involve, and what projects are you working on?
I am currently working on an ongoing project proposal on how to monitor and manage a social media crisis in the first 24 hours. I mainly undertake in research work relating to reputation and political risk assessments, and media relations. Depending on the client, and case, I have previously compiled country profiles, key opinion matrixes, and weekly monitoring reports. I sit in on client strategy and corporate meetings, and contribute in my capacity as an intern. I have also had the opportunity to attend networking events including one at Chatham House, an international think tank. Through these experiences, I have gained valuable insight into the world of public relations and the challenges of navigating through a highly complex and interdependent business, media and political landscape.
What are the biggest challenges in your role?
I faced the initial challenge of transitioning from an academic to a business viewpoint. As students, we are accustomed to processing arduous readings and analyzing the ways in which we can craft them into our essay answers. At Project Associates, I am forced to sift through masses of information to make more calculated judgements of what’s pertinent to the client or extraneous.
Employers usually overstress it as a prerequisite skill to any job, but time management truly is a skill that will never be completely mastered, rather, it is a process. I have had to learn to perfect it into an art form over the last 8 weeks. The position requires a great deal of flexibility. At any given time, I could be given a task to complete within hours or minutes depending on the crisis and what the consultant needs. Regardless of this pressure, the information needs to be presented to the consultant in the most clear and concise manner. In the world of communications, presentation is gold. With many ongoing projects under these strict time constraints, the key to managing my time is to prioritize my tasks.
Consequently, I learnt the importance of asking two crucial questions whenever given an assignment: ‘when do you need it by?’ followed by ‘is this what you were looking for?’ upon completion.
What's the most exciting thing about your internship?
The dynamic nature of crisis management keeps me motivated and challenged. Whether it is a CEO from a FTSE 100 company who is need of crisis management or a potential head of state candidate looking for political counselling, it is rarely a dull day at work. The job also requires you to be kept well-informed on current affairs. My passion for politics makes it easy to engage in the news I read. Like piecing together a puzzle, I frequently find myself relating news to current cases and finding the best ways to utilize the information. Finally, Project Associates is a small more personable communications consultancy firm, which led me to receive a great deal of support from colleagues. Rather than one, I have many mentors who are diverse in their skill set and keen to advise me in my future endeavours.
Have you been able to apply any concepts from your studies at LSE to your work?
The knowledge I derived from my IR classes helped when I was compiling country profiles or researching international conflicts. I often found myself relating readings on current affairs from my IR306 Sovereignty Rights and Justice: Issues in International Political Theory course to international client case studies. LSE over the course of the year sharpened my writing skills, which is a tremendous asset to have in the field of communications.
How was the application process? Did you find anything particularly challenging?
I was required to send my CV and a cover letter. I was then asked to come in for an interview and assessment test. After successfully passing this stage, I was called in for a final interview. The process of preparation was quite time consuming. I tediously tailored my cover letter for the position. I researched the company, their services, practices, and what made them unique from other firms.
The process was nerve-wracking as I had never applied to work in the UK and didn’t know what to expect. Despite this, I tried to walk into the interview with an open mind and made sure I conveyed my enthusiasm and suitability for the position.
Do you have any advice for students who are thinking of applying to the same type of internship?
Prepare: Research in advance the field, the type of skills it requires, and in more detail the position itself. LSE Career Services is an incredible resource for students. I had booked a practice interview that proved to be a really helpful exercise. It is worth reading their endorsed publications, and attending their career fairs to gauge a better understanding of whether consultancy is for you.
Reflect: Really think about whether you are a good ‘fit’ for the role. Do you have the correct qualifications, and if so, can you adapt your work experience and skills to the requirements of the position? Communications consultancy is highly engaging yet taxing, is it a field you can thrive in?
Persist: It is important to stay motivated, reach out to as many contacts as you can, and use all the resources you have available without letting the process dishearten you. Procrastination is a great temptation, considering students are usually balancing rigorous academics, social activities and obligations with job applications. Stays focused, and plan ahead accordingly so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
More importantly, LSE contains an extensive network of talented students, staff, academics and alumnae who have a wealth of knowledge to share. Do not hesitate to tap into this network. I spoke to many friends, acquaintances, and teachers on campus during this process. Teachers recalled pointers from their desperate search for internships still fresh in their memory from a few years ago. Amongst friends, we struggled and stressed in solidarity. I used the resources I was fortunate to have access to, and strongly recommend you do the same, including contacting me.
If you are looking for a rewarding work experience and enjoy the challenge of problem-solving, I strongly recommend communications consultancy.
Click here for more information on Project Associates. Shyaan is active on LinkedIn and Twitter.
