Last week, I had one of our former work experience people ring up to ask if I had any advice about getting your first job in PR – what with it being a very competitive market out there at the moment. It turns out that I did – so I thought I might use this week’s blog to share it with any others out there hunting (or about to). Feel free to add any of your own thoughts or tips – I’d be interested to know what others think!
1. Remember the ‘grad schemes’…. – I got into PR through a straight grad scheme, and there are still plenty out there. They might be very competitive, but it’s a great start if you can get a place. There’s a very useful list of all the main ones (with closing dates) here http://socialwebthing.com/2011/11/2012-pr-graduate-schemes/
2. …but approach other people anyway – we wouldn’t describe ourselves as running a graduate recruitment programme like the ones set out above, but last year we took two new trainees on anyhow. It’s worth spreading your net fairly wide – it may be that an agency suddenly wins a new piece of work and needs resource, or has a junior staff member leave and an opening develops. If they have your details on file, it might help you be front of mind.
3. Really tailor your covering letters – if you’re contacting a lot of people, it can be tempting to use the same covering letter and just tailor it a bit, but it’s obvious that you’ve done that. Show us that you know about the agency (not just what you’ve read on the website) and that you have a passion for our work. Even if you’re also trying to show that passion to 50 others! And pick out what makes you special, so we know what to look for on your CV.
4. Make the most of your work experience – having work experience on your CV should be a must – it shows that you’re committed to getting into the industry and have some understanding of what the day-to-day work involves. But don’t just use it as a ‘tick-box’ exercise to get something on your CV. While you’re there, try and get as much free advice from people as to how to get into the industry as possible, and also try and impress – we’ve ended up taking people on as permanent recruits because we liked them when they came in on work experience.
5. Look at (paid) internships – I’m no fan of unpaid internships, but paid ones can be another great route into the industry – even if the company you’re working for doesn’t take you on, it’s all great experience for your CV. A list of companies currently offering paid internships is available here http://www.prca.org.uk/blog/tags/internships
6. Think about ‘route in’ careers – if you can’t get a job in PR straight away, there are other roles that have a lot of similar skill-sets, and will help build your experience to get a foot in the door. Anything marketing, social media, or events related will help – this doesn’t work indefinitely, obviously, but again, can help you stand out.
7. Don’t fixate on London – there are some great agencies and in-house roles based all around the country, and you certainly don’t need to start (or indeed continue or end) your career in London. Even if you think you might move to London eventually, don’t overlook regional roles.
8. Make the most of your interview – if you are lucky enough to get an interview, it’s a real opportunity (people don’t tend to waste their time interviewing people they’re not interested in), so really prepare for it. Know the agency and even the people you’re going in to meet – that’s what internet search functions are there for. Be switched in to recent news stores and what’s going on in PR/ social media. Be smart, be enthusiastic and be a little bit early. And good luck!
