Social Media Intern at Glasgow Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network (GRAMNet), involving management of the Network's Twitter account (@GRAM_Net), and promotion and tweeting of GRAMNet events.

Role at the Scottish Parliament working closely with MSPs and Scottish political media to deliver an effective press strategy, gaining skills in:Writing of press releases and handling requests for comment and interview from members of the media, and being a key part of the SNP’s communications team in the recent 2017 general election campaign;Communicating with members of parliament to provide advice and brief them for television and radio appearances;Working as part of the communications team to deliver clear and consistent messaging;Researching and developing news stories for use in press releases or for placing with media outlets in order to set and influence the news agenda and exploit positive PR opportunities;Working under high levels of pressure and responding quickly to news and circumstances, as well as at high-profile events including party conferences;Developing strategies to improve local news coverage and promote party aims.

Four-month internship based in Edinburgh with a parliamentary monitoring organisation. Main duties included:Observing committee meetings and debates in the Scottish Parliament and writing concise summaries for inclusion in client reports;Monitoring of press activity and writing up relevant press releases and other stories for inclusion in internal circulation of news;Absorbing information and gaining an understanding of the complex issues discussed by expert committee panels and learning about the workings of Parliament, remits of external campaign groups, and the policy-making process;Twitter coverage of set-piece events such as Prime Minister’s Questions;Coverage of a major party conference through summarising of fringe meetings, debates from the main hall and live tweeting of key speeches;Remaining neutral throughout all activities to ensure key facts were presented to clients.

Manager of the political output and member of the organisational team of the cultural campaign organisation, which involved:Copyediting of articles submitted for publication on the website;Writing of editorials and articles on a range of issues;Implementation of the organisation’s editorial strategy;Organising and co-ordinating a number of local and national campaign events and strategies across Scotland, including a nationwide tour and other regional events;Successfully engaging with writers across various platforms, including social media, email and in person;Assisting in the development and promotion of a crowdfunding programme; Presenting National Collective’s campaign goals to members of the media;Responding quickly and positively to developments related to the campaign and formulating new ideas based on the needs of the moment.

Working in the office of North-East MSP Christian Allard, I gained experience in a range of areas, including:Interacting with constituents on a variety of issues, including on housing, welfare, pensions and Scotland’s referendum;Liaising with both domestic and international media for coverage of Mr Allard during the referendum campaign period;Drafting of press releases, parliamentary questions and speeches for the Member’s use;Aiding in the Member’s public campaigns around promoting local food and drink;Co-ordinating workloads across the small team of employees to ensure an efficient completion of all necessary tasks.

Two temporary contracts with the MSP for Aberdeenshire West, which included:Working to resolve issues brought forward by constituents by interacting with those concerned and the relevant public authorities, including the Scottish Government and Aberdeenshire Council;Writing of press releases and other statements on behalf of Mr Robertson;Arranging meetings and visits to local businesses for the Member;Assisting with other administrative tasks as required.