Step Up: Day in the life of Kira Richards at APL Media
The Travel Media Step Up internship — which drives diversity and inclusion in the travel media industry for young people from underrepresented backgrounds — is excited to welcome a new cohort of interns this summer. The scheme, which launched in late 2023, has already proven to be a strong success, with one of the inaugural interns, Kira Richards, securing a full-time role at APL Media as an assistant project editor.
Kira has shared her experience of joining the team in September 2024, and how Step Up facilitated her career progression.
9am: My day starts promptly when I arrive at our Kentish Town based office. I utilise the first half an hour catching up on messages and reviewing my to-do list. As my role as an assistant project editor is very multifaceted, staying organised is key. Every week, I work across several departments, from the Events team — who put together the Travel Media Awards and National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival — to the paid content and print desks, who produce every issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). My main responsibilities include writing copy for our events marketing, collaborating with the sub-editors, designers and marketing teams, and helping at our events.
11am: I always have a few meetings every week to catch up with my teams and editors, particularly when we’re working on fast-moving projects. I spend a few minutes beforehand ensuring I'm up to speed with when my written work is due and any tasks I need to collaborate with my colleagues on.
One of the benefits of Step Up is the mentorship I’ve received since my placements. Every other week, I meet with my mentor and deputy editor at National Geographic Traveller (UK), Amanda Canning, to discuss my progression, goals and support me with any questions I have about travel media. This has been imperative to my progress in the workplace and helped me have clear targets to work towards.
1pm: Step Up was a great way to get to know my colleagues and an effective networking opportunity. I’ve been warmly welcomed back in the team and often get lunch with them when I work in the office. At APL, team members of all seniority are proactive about getting to know me, answering my questions and providing professional insight. As an intern, I had hour-long workshops with senior editors about how articles are commissioned, how to edit longform features and how every issue is produced, so I felt confident returning into a permanent role with this knowledge.
3pm: In the afternoon, I tackle pieces I’ve been commissioned to write. Recently, I’ve been working on an article for the National Geographic Traveller (UK) website, as well as editing pieces for the print and paid content teams. This is vital experience for learning how to thoroughly edit articles, and provide and receive feedback, which I first had the chance to do during my placement last summer.
5pm: As my day wraps up, I use the final 30 minutes to finish off any writing I’m working on and share with my editors for their feedback. I use this time similarly to the start of my day, looking over my to-do list and ticking off any completed tasks. It’s also prime time to map out the days and sometimes week ahead, which is helpful for staying on top of multiple projects. Occasionally, I’ll research and write pitches for the print magazine and website.
The best part of my role is how varied every week is and the opportunity to work with such a wide range of teams and people! I’ve learned so much from everyone and look forward to continuing to do so. I also love contributing my own stories to the magazine, working with the print team and having further opportunities to refine my skillset. Thanks to Step Up, I have the confidence and capability to succeed in the workplace. I’m grateful that the scheme will continue to set more young people from underrepresented backgrounds up for success in the world of travel media and public relations.