THREE PIECES OF ADVICE FOR THE MODERN PR
After finishing university and trying my luck in journalism, I quickly decided I wanted to keep writing as a hobby. The number of unpaid internships that were required before even being considered for a paid role was demotivating, and also unrealistic if you wanted to rent a flat in London and actually have a social life.
With minimal PR knowledge, I kickstarted my career working for a small agency. On my first day I blasted a press release out to over 200 journalists, forgetting to bcc. I can still feel myself turning beetroot red with embarrassment. Thankfully GDPR wasn’t so hot back then…
Fast forward eight years and I’ve worked at three completely different agencies - of different sizes, with different values and across brands from food and drink to fitness, travel, fashion and more. Recently I was asked what my best piece of advice is for someone starting a career in PR, so I thought why not share my top three for anyone else wanting to explore the sector?
1. Build a little black book
Having a solid handful of go-to press contacts is fundamental to being a successful PR. From securing last minute coverage, to smashing a guestlist for a client event, it will work wonders. It will also help you to stay informed on the media landscape and be a source of knowledge when planning campaigns.
Meet with journalists who are also starting out in their career, so you can grow in the industry together. This helped me create my own ‘black book’, with journos becoming mates over the years. It’s also a great perk - who doesn’t want a free breakfast?
2. Stay cool
From nailing a dream piece of coverage - like having your client interviewed 100ft in the air on GB News, to winning a pitch, to being part of an incredible creative campaign like Nexba’s Good Gut Feels, working in a PR agency comes with high reward.
It is also very fast paced.
Working across multiple clients can come with what feels like a never-ending-to-do list. My advice is to take a breath, switch off any instant messages for a couple of hours, write down your top three priorities for the day and remember, it’s ‘PR not ER’. While we always want to go above and beyond, there are only so many hours in a working day and a little perspective is necessary.
3. Find a working culture that suits you
Years ago I interviewed with the CEO of an agency. I was really excited by their clients but the style of interview felt like an intense exam with no right answers. I ended up politely declining the job as I knew his tone set a presence for the whole office and it wasn’t going to be an environment I would thrive in.
I massively appreciate working for a company that offers flexible working, supports an hour long lunch break, gives days in lieu for weekend days worked, recommends turning off Slack and email notifications outside of work and fully supports a strong work-life balance - as supported by Full Fat being certified as a Great Place to work. On average we spend over 3,500 days of our whole life at work, so it’s important to find a company you like; that fits with your values and ultimately one you’re happy - and proud - to work for.
Whether a PR just starting out, or thinking about taking the leap, hopefully this advice provides you with the taster you need to give the industry a go. I know it’s the head start I would have liked!