PARTNER TESTIMONIALS

Bonjour, Hello, Monte ♥️

I’m Marise Mubili, a PR Specialist at Pearl Lemon. I have been working at Pearl Lemon for 3 months, but my knowledge has increased ten folds. I wanted to start my journey as a part-time intern at Pearl Lemon because I knew I had no experience in the PR field but to my surprise, I was offered a permanent position as a PR Specialist, and nothing could have made me happier.

Living in South Africa is fantastic, yet when it comes to job hunting it becomes the most tiring activity anyone can engage in. You meet ridiculous requirements for job positions that leave you feeling defeated. Pearl Lemon was a different case because they overlooked my inexperience and tested my ability with a three-day trial before deciding my fate. This was something new to me because organisations these days don’t have the patience for such things. The trial was my saving grace, and I received a warm welcome from the HR Head who provided me with the necessary routes to familiarise myself with the flow of the company.

It did not take me too long to adjust to the situation or the atmosphere within the company because I am constantly adapting in everything I do. The HR Head Bianca was very cool and understanding whenever I came to her to ask questions. When someone is new to something you are required to ask many questions and I am glad she did not get annoyed or ignore my questions when I came around. 

As time went by I finally crossed paths with Catherine who is part of the accountability department in the company. She is a fantastic person and always reminds me of things that I might need to remember to get done. I haven’t known Catherine for long but from the way she operates and interacts with me, I can confirm that she is a reliable, trustworthy, and organised person. I may be working remotely but I feel like if I had to cross paths with Catherine in person we would be great friends.

There are times when I am not working well or completing my tasks properly. It makes pokes my inexperience but from scanning the company and realising the young employees within the company. It helps me realise that age does not prevent people from excelling and being a better version of themselves. Moreover, I have come to witness dynamic friendships between my colleagues. I especially like the interaction between Sophie and Ion during our weekly meetings because it creates a relaxed atmosphere before things get serious. It feels great to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds and work together to sustain the balance of the agency.

Furthermore, working being part of Pearl Lemon PR has been awesome, I interacted well with former PR writer Nadzwa even though I was a new member of the team. She had no problem when it came to helping me with the articles I needed. It was a shock when she left the agency, but her departure led me to Simeone. I can confirm that Simeone who is also a PR Specialist and I have a great level of understanding towards each other. Simeone is now my go-to person when I need articles written. His writing is exceptional, and he deserves to be praised for his work. There have been times when I struggle with completing my work because no one is available to assist. This has been a little difficult to digest because it means when it comes to my evaluation at the end of the month it may seem like I am underperforming.

Even though such situations may arise, I am grateful to have individuals that can help me find a way out of my predicament. Furthermore, working at Pearl Lemon allowed me to access training videos directed by our CEO. At first, it was difficult to listen to and complete all the training videos because I was unable to balance my time between working and listening to training videos. Alas, when I put my mind to something I can complete it without any problems. 

Through the communication training videos, I picked up important information since one of the tasks when listening to the video was to leave timestamps. I picked up how to position yourself in front of a camera when consulting a client, and how to interrupt a client when you need to say something important during a conversation. In addition, I was able to capture information on how we should always show confidence when handling our client’s tasks or campaigns.

It is important to main a certain level of confidence when dealing with your clients because they need to be able to trust you and know that you will get the work done as you are sure of your skills. After going through those lessons I realised that I was missing out on so much knowledge that I didn’t know about. This leads me to agree with the boss’ words when he said, “If you have not been at Pearl Lemon for over a year then you are still very much inexperienced.” 

I have to agree with that because I have so much more room for improvement and I am willing to give my all to learn and grow within the agency and in the PR agency. While on the topic, I would love to express the positive impression the CEO has left on me. I am astonished to see how he can manage an agency remotely and still make it work. His success has made me realise that I can achieve all the goals I have set out for myself if I put my mind to it. 

As I managed before working as a new employee working as a PR Specialist at Pearl Lemon, was extremely challenging at first because I had no clue as to whether I would achieve my first month’s KPI. I was inexperienced and raw in the PR department, so my working speed was slow, and I lacked the correct technique to tackle my challenges. Luckily for me, I joined an organisation that had a warm and welcoming atmosphere. My colleagues were understanding and always willing to help direct me in the right direction. I zoomed past the first month at Pearl Lemon and survived my probation period. During my second month at Pearl Lemon, I came to understand that the task of a PR Specialist is not an easy one.

PR Specialists are required to manage the company’s reputation, build, and sustain relationships with stakeholders and battle all criticism like a warrior. Furthermore, working at Pearl Lemon has enabled me to encounter people from different backgrounds and cultures. Exposure to various industries and work platforms I never knew existed is now at my fingertips. Managing the organisation’s reputation is more than just a task for me, it is an opportunity to grow my knowledge. 

I have been exposed to journalists from different backgrounds and gained access to media platforms that I never knew existed. This was all possible because of the opportunity given to me when I joined the agency. The diversity of culture goes way beyond the imagination because we have employees from India, Philipian, Nigeria, South Africa, and much more. Three months is not nearly enough to know the kinds of languages everyone speaks besides English.

There is beauty in wanting to learn about other people’s traditions and cultures so I believe Pearl Lemon is the place to be. There is no racism or discrimination within the agency and I love that and I am enjoying being in such an environment.

Pearl Lemon has shown me that women are great leaders and have the ability to take charge no matter the task. I have noticed that the heads of most departments are women and honestly, that is amazing since we have organisations that minimise the importance of women in the industry. Besides the hiring of women, there is also the hiring of young individuals that I might have mentioned earlier. The young generation carry new ideas, they are passionate about learning new things and are always brain storming. This is why Pearl Lemon works differently and breeds differently. 

My skills as a PR Specialist have improved since I started working at Pearl Lemon, my manager came to me and asked if I was willing to grow in the field. My manager Pearl truly has the skills of a leader because she is always there guiding and monitoring our work. This is the kind of step many organisations don’t take towards their employees. 

My growth in the department is all thanks to her concern and interest in me. I have been handling tasks she has been throwing my way and not to blow my own horn, but I am happy with my progress. I feel even more motivated when my work is recognised, and I am corrected where there is a need. The Pearl Lemon team is amazing, and our unity and hard work are going to be the gunpowder for the firecrackers in the digital marketing world. After all at Pearl Lemon “We do growth”