2. Iâm going to cover:
âą Top tips for breaking into PR
âą Social media and your job search
âą How to shine at interviews
âą Managing your career progression
âą State of the market for new entrants and grads
3. Top tips for breaking into PR
Develop your base knowledge through research
Know what PR is (vs advertising, sales promotionâŠ)
Understanding the different types â consumer, corporate, financialâŠ
Know the key sources of information: CIPR, PRCA, PR Week...
Get work experience if you can
Provides hands on experience
Gives you contacts
Gains you referees
Ensure your basic skills are strong
Interpersonal skills
Writing skills
Ability to communicate clearly
4. Social media and your job search
Social media understanding is a must for PR professionals, HOWEVER:
Think about how public your personal life is
Is your social media profile the one youâd like your future employer to see?
If not, adjust your settings accordingly
Donât think itâs too early for a professional profile
Consider a LinkedIn profile
Make sure it matches your CV
Assume recruitment managers will look at your social media profile â I will!
6. How to shine at interview â pre-meeting
Research
The company/ agency â their clients, the campaigns they run
Brainstorm
Think what questions you might be asked
Practice your answers (including examples that support them)
Think about questions of your own
Plan
How youâre going to get to the meeting
What youâre going to wear
7. How to shine at interview â at the meeting
Make the right first impression
Sit up straight (even when youâre waiting in reception)
Have a firm handshake
Smile!
Listen to the interviewersâ questionsâŠ
...And answer them (no tangents please!)
Ask your questions
Donât be shy or think they donât want to hear them
They demonstrate that youâre thoughtful and want the job
8. Managing your career progression
Seize every chance to develop and practise your skills
Write lots
Get to know key journalists and what they like
Get involved in brainstorms and contribute ideas
Understand what you need to do to get promoted
Make sure you have clear, achievable objectives
Let your line manager know when youâre meeting them
Be willing to do the admin
Do this well and account-handling work will follow
9. State of the market for new entrants and grads
Despite the recession, PR is a growing sector
E.g. 2010 â sector grew by 10-15% (while advertising shrank)
Itâs a competitive market
PR has always been a top career choice for graduates
PRCA industry research predicts the level of graduate recruitment will
stay the same in 2012
HOWEVER, agencies of all sizes are running grad schemes
Persistence will pay off
Know what PR is
Get yourself some relevant hands on experience
Make contacts and work them!
10. Thank you
Senior Vice President â FTI Consulting
Any questions?
The Works Search and Selection
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London W1K 5DS
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