PR

CAREERS ADVICE
WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATION?
Every organisation, no matter how large or small, ultimately depends on its reputation for
survival and success. Customers, suppliers, employees, investors, journalists and regulators
can have a powerful impact. They all have an opinion about the organisations they come into
contact with - whether good or bad, right or wrong. These perceptions will drive their
decisions about whether they want to work with, shop with and support these organisations. In
today's competitive market and uncertain economic climate reputation can be a company's
biggest asset – the thing that makes you stand out from the crowd and gives you a competitive
edge. Effective PR can help manage reputation by communicating and building good
relationships with all organisation stakeholders.

Definitions of PR

Public relations is about reputation - the result of what you do, what you say and what
others say about you. It is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning
understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and
sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an
organisation and its publics. The UK PR industry is the most highly developed in Europe and
second only to the US globally. Over the past decade there has been a high growth rate in the
profession. This high growth rate reflects the recognition and importance given to public
relations.

Is PR for you?

First of all it is important to establish what your expectations of public relations are.
Reading through the careers information on this website will give you an idea of what
working in PR involves. PR is not is the stereotypical image portrayed on the TV which
includes long boozy lunches and glamorous parties. While the role will include this
occasionally it will probably not be in your junior roles. PR is a very rewarding career but it
involves a lot of hard work, dedication, professionalism and stamina. It can offer an incredibly
varied and challenging career, encompassing many different activities. As with many jobs, the
proof is in the pudding and you will only find out if you are suited to PR through experience
in the field.

Some questions to ask yourself when considering PR as a career…

Do I have an interest in what's going on around me?

PR practitioners need to be aware of current trends and issues. Keeping up to date with the
world around you is vital when advising clients or brainstorming campaign ideas. Make sure
you read a daily paper or watch the news or the occasional current affairs programme. Or if
there is a particular sector of PR you want to go into read up on what is currently going on in
that industry. It will show commitment and a genuine interest to your prospective career.

Do I have good communication skills?

PR practitioners must be confident talking to a wide range of people – for example, your
role may involve presenting to clients, dealing with journalists and meeting with groups of
people important to your organisation or client. You also need to have excellent writing skills
as you could be producing press releases, annual reports, articles and newsletters.

There are certain essential qualities and skills that you will need to get ahead in PR

These include:

 Excellent verbal and written communication skills
 The ability to multi task and manage your time effectively
 A good level of organisation and planning
 An interest in all forms of media
 Flexibility

Do I cope well under pressure?

PR roles can be incredibly varied so you will need to be able to organise your workload in
order to meet strict deadlines. The ability to multi task is essential, and a flexible attitude
important. If you are looking for a 9-5 job, then PR is probably not for you – your position
may involve early starts, late finishes or time at the weekend.

WORKING IN PR

What is it really like working in public relations? Within this section you will be able to
read case studies from practitioners working both in-house and within an agency giving you a
real insight into the working world of PR.

WHICH SECTOR

Did you know that you can work in PR whatever your subject background?

PR encompasses an incredibly broad spectrum of sectors. There are public relations roles
within all sorts of industries and organisations, with all that choice; it can often be hard to
know where to start. A good starting point is to find out as much as you can about the various
industry sectors to see if any suit your particular interests and skills.

For example if you read pharmacology at university you could do the PR for a medical or
pharmaceutical company. Or did you read engineering? Well you too can work in PR, places
such a refineries will have a comprehensive CSR team should they have a fire or chemical
leak.

Some examples of the different sectors can be found below:

Business to business (B2B) Internal communications
Consumer International
Charity/Not-for-profit Music and entertainment
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Motor Industry
Construction Property

Corporate and Financial Public affairs
Education (i.e. universities) Public sector
Fashion Sport
Financial Technology
Food Travel
Healthcare Science and Engineering

Of course, some sectors will always attract far more graduates than others. It's worth
bearing this in mind when you're looking for your first job; avoiding the obvious choices can
reduce your competition for a role, helping you to secure employment more quickly and get
that all-important work experience.

If you are focused on moving into a specific sector, then make sure you know your stuff –
research the main organisations that operate within the industry, find out about specialist PR
consultancies and keep up to date with current trends and issues.

PR SECTORAL CASE STUDIES

Consumer PR
Health and Medical
Public sector - Local Council PR
Marketing Communications
Transportation
Corporate and Financial
Internal Communications

FINDING WORK

Currently finding work in any industry is not as easy as it was even a year ago, but we are
here to help point you in the right direction.

Where to start looking:

The CIPR website - PR Jobshop

As you are currently on the CIPR's website reading this, why not make Jobshop your first
point of call when looking for a job. The jobs on the website cover the whole of the UK and
all of the different PR sectors.

Newspapers – Online and print

For public relations and communications jobs, make sure you read the Media Guardian
religiously every Monday (and Saturday's paper can also be good for graduate positions).
Wading through job adverts can be a little depressing at times, especially if there doesn't seem
to be anything suitable, so don't make this the sole focus of your job hunt. All papers now
have on-line job sections; don't forget to check your local paper too.

Individual PR company websites

If there is a particular PR company you want to work for then make sure you regularly
check their website for job adverts. You may also find they advertise graduates are welcome
to submit their CV for consideration at any point throughout the year.

Recruitment consultants – online and company based

There is no shortage of recruitment consultants, but it is often hard to know which to use.
There are a number that specialise in PR and the communications industry such as VMA and
Pathfinders. Then there are big general agencies such as Reed and Monster; then there are all
the individual ones that you will need to go into to meet with a consultant and have them to
access your CV so they can discuss all the options available to you.

Tip: When emailing a recruitment consultant put your name in the subject line of the
email when initially sending your CV and any specific reference number of a job you are
applying for. This makes it easier for the consultant to find your email when going
through the huge volume of CVs they receive each day.

Going to recruitment consultants can at times be very disheartening, but do not put all your
eggs in one basket, go and sign up to as many as you can, and then keep in touch with them.
You will soon learn which ones will make an effort to help you find a job and which ones will
simply keep your CV on file and do nothing for you. Also remember on average it can take
you about 3 months to get a job, so make sure they have you on the books to do whatever
temp work becomes available.

PRWeek

As part of your CIPR membership you will get PRWeek for free; make sure you check all
the job adverts each week.

Networking

As a CIPR member make the most of your membership and the opportunities available for
you to network regionally. You never know who you might get to talk to and who might be
hiring. But don't make your opening line at a CIPR event, - 'Hi I am looking for a job'.

It is not professional. While the rule of 'it never hurts to ask' does apply, subtlety and tact
are also key.

Graduate training programmes and work placements

Companies normally advertise these on their websites and there are usually strict deadlines
to adhere to. Lots of research is required. You may also hear of opportunities through your
university. Some work placements can be found advertised on the student website, but there
are others available as well.

Graduate careers fairs

These are great to go to and often free, many though are in London. The Grad Jobs website
is worth checking out as they hold one of the biggest graduate recruitment and work
placement fairs in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

At these fairs companies are looking to hire, offer work experience or advertise their
graduate schemes. One thing to take note of is that many large fairs will cover all the
professions so you may have to hunt to find those offering PR roles. If none are openly
advertising PR, remember all big companies will probably have an in-house PR team so it
can't hurt to ask them if they know of any openings within their press team or if they can give
you the contact details of someone within the HR department you can talk to.

The Milk round

This is where companies tour universities to promote and advertise their job opportunities
directly to candidates. In recent years a lot of this has moved online. Checkout the milk round
website to see what is available.

Temp work

Temp work is a great way of gaining experience in a relevant industry while you are job
hunting. Many people have also ended up being offered a job within a company they are
temping for if the company is impressed with the work the person is undertaking, and a
position becomes available. Jobs can often be advertised internally before they are then
advertised publicly. Temping is also a great way of securing some income while you are
unemployed as rent still has to be paid. Make sure your phone is on from about 7am each day
if you're waiting to be offered temp work as recruitment companies will have many people on
their books and you won't want to miss your opportunity if your phone is switched off!

Getting that job

Finding employment is very time consuming and can be very disheartening if it's not
initially going your way, but don't give up! Give yourself the best chance by using a
combination of the techniques above and by ensuring you target your applications carefully.
For advice on preparing winning CVs, writing cover letters and succeeding at interviews,
check out the other sections under careers advice. Also be prepared to take a job that is not
100% what you hoped for, you never know it could open up possibilities you didn't even
know about, and you don't have to stay there forever, the job market is much more transient
than it used to be

.CV Guide

The purpose of a CV is to offer a snap shot of you, so you can grab the prospective
employer's attention and make them want to call you in for an interview.

Why a CV is important

In the current market it is becoming increasingly hard to get to the interview stage, with
hundreds of people applying for one position. It is very important that your CV is as good as it
can possibly be and stands out amongst all the others. You need to devote a great deal of time
and effort into writing a CV because it is vitally important that its construction, presentation

and delivery are beyond reproach. It is also helpful to be aware of common myths
surrounding CVs.

To work in PR you must have impeccable writing skills and an excellent command of the
English language. If your CV has mistakes in it, one, it demonstrates a lack of care and two,
that you probably have poor writing skills, so you might not even be considered for an
interview.

The most important elements of a CV are, in order of priority:

1. Accuracy of information
2. Spelling
3. Grammar
4. Detailed work history
5. Layout
6. Document length

Most recruitment agencies believe an employer makes a decision about a CV within 30
seconds. This means many CV's are judged purely on how they look. Also on average, readers
absorb 60% of the first page and 40% of the second, so think quality not quantity; always
include the most relevant information on the first page of your CV.

You can make an instant impression by:

 Keeping your CV short - no more than two pages, any longer could be detrimental
 Using good quality paper - a light coloured paper could make your CV stand out from the
crowd, but you can't go wrong with white
 Lay out information using clear section headings to make it easier to navigate
 Use bullet points to describe things like duties, responsibilities and achievements

Generally, the format of a CV is up to the individual, as long as it is easily understood. The
content is relatively standard from one CV to the next: personal details, profile/summary,
educational details, work history, leisure interests, additional information, references, make
sure though you take the time to tailor your CV to each individual job you are applying for ,
employers can spot a generic CV. Each job you go for will want different skills and
experiences from you.

Your personal profile is the section that normally appears first on a CV. This paragraph is
very important, keep it to around 100 words. It gives you the chance to provide the employer
with details about yourself that do not appear in any other part of the document. This is your
opportunity to sell yourself and describe what you have to offer the employer in terms of
personal skills and attributes.

Explaining about your work history is quite difficult. Concentrate on providing just enough
information for the reader to gain an accurate picture of your role. Many people have a
tendency to go into complicated wordy detail about their previous responsibilities, but this
should be avoided - simple and straight forward explanations will suffice and are easier to
read. Obviously if you are at university you may only have summer jobs, but these are just as
relevant.

Tip: Don't list work experience/employment in the wrong order. Always put your most
recent position first.

Make sure that you read up on the organisation you are applying for. Get to know how they
present themselves, this will give you an idea of what kind of person they might be looking
for in a candidate. Consider if you have any skills, interests or experience that would be
relevant to what they might be looking for in an employee.

If you can, tailor your CV to match the language and feeling of the organisation used on
their website. Tailoring your CV to match the kind of tone they use will signal to the
prospective organisation that you might be the kind of candidate they want to recruit. It will
also help them answer that all important question – will this person fit into our team?

Discuss areas of responsibility you have had, skills you've acquired etc. Always try to be
specific about what you have done (i.e. managed two staff, responsible for a budget,
completed a project, used specific systems such as Lotus or Quark Express). Vague
generalities do little to sell your skills to employers. Where possible, use positive action
words to describe your work duties (action words draw a visual picture to the reader of a hard
working, dynamic individual).

Although leisure interests are not as important as the main body of your CV, they do
provide an employer with some insight into what you are like out of work. Often employers
use this section to assess your personal qualities, so remember not to overlook it, but keep it
near the end of your CV.

References always appear last on the CV and can be dealt with by 'available on request'
rather than listing individual contact details.

Tip: Don't include your required salary within your CV. You will either underestimate
yourself or overestimate. Either way it will not do you any favors. Negotiate this after
you've got the job!

Tip: Always get someone else to proof your CV no one can 100% proof their own
work, you will always miss something.

You will find that if you try to adhere to these basic rules when compiling your CV, you
should be well on your way to gaining that all important interview. Good luck!

Cover Letters

Remember to customise your cover letter for all of the different jobs/internships you apply
for.

Generally you should always attach a covering letter, unless just a CV is requested or you
have to fill in an application form.

Structure of the letter:

 should be no longer than one page
 no more than three or four short paragraphs

 the first paragraph should state your interest in the job
 the second paragraph should summarise your background
 the third paragraph requests an interview.

Sign 'Yours sincerely' and type your name in full under your handwritten signature.

If you are writing about a work placement/internship you should never write a letter which
begins,

"I am required as part of my public relations course to expand my experience in the public
relations field. I am writing to you to request a work placement".

This is not a positive way to approach a company, put yourself in their shoes, would you
take someone on from an opening like that, probably not.

Never address a letter Dear Sir/Madam, it will probably go unanswered, as it shows a lack
of effort on your part to find out who to address the letter to, also how would you like it if you
were written to as Dear student?

Ensure you have the correct spelling of the name and title of the person and company you
are you are writing to.

Always ensure your home address, landline and/or mobile number and email address are on
the covering letter. When adding your email address it might be preferable to create a new
professional email account, such as joe.bloggs@email.com.

Never handwrite a cover letter unless specifically requested.

Don't photocopy and mass produce the same letter and fill in the details later, it looks sloppy
and obviously mass produced, which tells a potential employer that you couldn't be bothered
writing to them individually. Print your cover letter on paper that matches your CV.

Don't be tempted to put too much detail in your cover letters, they are only an introduction.
Important information, such as your skills, should be in your CV already. Avoid repetition!

When answering ads requesting a cover letter, make sure you include all the information
they have asked for.

Some of the things you might want to consider putting in your cover letter:

 your desire to work for their organisation
 your commitment to the public relations/communications industry
 proficiency in turning your theoretical knowledge into practice
 determination to be a valued member of their organisation
 your ability to work as part of a team
 also if you are writing about work experience you can mention you are willing to work for
free (this will be the case 90% of the time, it is quite rare to gain paid work experience).

Sample cover letter

The following links below offer a number of cover letter examples.

Please do not copy these verbatim, they are just examples to guide you towards writing your
own. Remember being able to write well and creatively is essential in PR so you should apply
these skills to your cover letter.

 Work experience cover letter
 Undergraduate job application cover letter
 Graduate job application cover letter
 Internship cover letter
 Previous intern job application cover letter

Interview Advice

Below are some tips on attending interviews. This is not a fool proof guide, just some
suggestions to point you in the right direction.

Like anything else in life, the key to success is preparation and practice.

Thinking about your answers to the following questions should help get you through your
interview without too much stress:

 What do I know about the organisation?

 What do I know about the job?

 What is my short response to “Tell me about yourself”?

Tip: This is a common question so you can prepare a standard answer but try not to
make it sound too rehearsed. Give details of your degree, relevant work experience
and your range of skills. Don’t talk for longer than five minutes. Try to tailor this
script to the position applied for.

 What do I know about the interviewer and the selection process?

 What points are unique about me and support my application?

 What achievements will the interviewer be most interested in?

Tip: Be careful here. The last thing that an employer wants to hear is “my degree”.
Guess what? Everyone applying 9ort he job has a degree so make sure you have an
example that makes you stand out from the other candidates. Choose an achievement
that relates to the skills required 9ort he job. For example you might have organised an
event and secured press coverage. Show where you demonstrated commitment,
organisation and took on extra responsibility.

 What possible problem areas are there in my application and how can I put them
positively?

 What would I like my referees to say about my experience and achievements?

 Tell me where you have faced a difficult situation and how you overcame it?

Tip: The interviewer wants to know what you consider to be ‘difficult’, where you
have been under pressure, how you have coped, and whether you can take a logical
approach to solve the problem. Again beware. Try not to describe a problem that was
your fault. Describe how you identified the problem, how you approached the issue
and how you resolved the situation. Always end on a positive stating what you learned
from this situation.

 What lasting impression do I want to leave?

 Can I demonstrate enthusiasm 10ort he job?

 What are your strengths?

Tip: You will always be asked this question so prepare and back up your statements
with examples. Prepare five key strengths such as confidence, motivation, tenacity,
positive attitude, etc and explain why these attributes would be beneficial 10ort he role
you have applied for.

 What are your greatest weaknesses?

Tip: Do not say “well I’m a bit of a perfectionist” because the interviewer will have
heard that a million time before and will not believe you. As a graduate, chances are
you will lack experience (not ability) in one area but you are a quick learner and with
appropriate training this would not be a problem. You can also use a personal
weakness but try to describe how the interviewer could also consider it a strength.

PR Dictionary

Below are a number of terms that you may come across when researching or first entering
PR.

 Above the line: Advertising that is 'talking at you', e.g. television, radio, posters.
 Below the line: Advertising that is 'talking to you', e.g. direct mail, point of purchase,
leaflets.
 Blog: Is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of
commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Many
blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more
personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs,
web pages, and other media related to its topic.
 Brand: A product or service that has been refined and given a registered name to
distinguish it from other products/services.
 Brief: The outline of what needs to be done on a project.
 B2B: (Business to Business) Public relations marketing communication dedicated to
providing information resources between businesses. Includes professional services,
training, human resources and office supplies.
 B2C: (Business to Consumer) As B2B, but between businesses and the consumer.

 Community Relations: Corporate social outreach programmes designed to build
relations and foster understanding of the role of the business to neighbours in the local
community.
 Consultancy: Externally hired public relations services, either an individual
consultant or a public relations consultancy.
 Copy: Written material for printing, the text of an advertisement, a press release or an
article that is being written (before it has been published).
 Copywriting: The production of text for publications, advertising, marketing
materials, websites etc. Most agencies employ specialists skilled with a direct and
succinct writing style.
 Corporate identity: The ways in which companies identify and brand themselves.
This can be through logos, house style and uniforms.
 Corporate Communications: Public relations for a corporation integrated as part of
the company's strategic objectives.
 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Borne from the belief that trade brings
obligations, CSR makes companies responsible for their use of resources, both
environmentally and socially. The role of public relations in CSR strategies is to
communicate effectively to build corporate accountability and transparency.
 Crisis Management:Having a plan in place that can be effectively actioned when
something goes wrong for an organisation.
 Embargo: In international commerce and politics, an embargo is the exclusion of
commerce (division of trade) and trade with a certain country, in order to isolate it and
to put its government into a difficult internal situation, given that the effects of the
embargo are often able to make its economy suffer from the initiative. The embargo is
usually used as a political punishment for some previous disagreed policies or acts, but
its economic nature frequently raises doubts about the real interests that the
prohibition serves.
 Environmental Communications: PR sector specialising in communication on
sustainable use of resources, environmental impact of business and corporate social
responsibility.
 E-PR/Online PR: Communicating over the web and using new technology to
effectively communicate with stakeholders.
 Evaluation:Measuring the impact of a public relations campaign. This process is
typically linked with planning and research.
 Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG): Are products that are sold quickly at
relatively low cost. Though the absolute profit made on FMCG products is relatively
small, they generally sell in large quantities, so the cumulative profit on such products
can be large. Examples of FMCG generally include a wide range of frequently
purchased consumer products such as toiletries, soap, cosmetics; as well as other non-
durables such as batteries, paper products and plastic. FMCG may also include
pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, packaged food products and drinks.
 Fees: The charges consultants and consultancies make for the time of their staff
working on client programmes, usually invoiced in regular monthly instalments or
quarterly in advance.
 Financial PR: Financial services sector communications demanding understanding of
consumers, their buying patterns and how to influence them, the position of companies
in markets and corporate processes such as Initial Public Offerings (IPO's), Mergers
and Acquisitions (M&A's), demutualisation and hostile bids.
 Fundraising/Sponsorship: Looking for partners to provide financial support or
support 'in kind' for an event or activity where both parties will benefit.

 Healthcare Communications: PR sector specialising in public and private healthcare
provision, including leisure health, effect of drugs and impacts of medical research.
 In-House Magazines/Newsletter: A tool to communicate with employees about
news, issues and developments of interest to them about the organisation they work
for.
 In-House: Staff within a company or organisation responsible for public relations
function.
 Internal Communications: Organisational use of process communication to help
achieve corporate objectives. Includes employee and shareholder communications.
 Marketing communications (marcomms): Are messages and related media used to
communicate with a market. Marketing communications focuses on product or service
as opposed to a corporate communication.
 Media/Presentation Training: Training to help when dealing with the various media
(including television and radio), with journalists and when making a pitch to
prospective clients.
 Media Monitoring: Monitoring a company's coverage in the press, on TV and radio,
and on the internet.
 Media Relations: Dealing with and building up good working relationships with
journalists from the broadcast and print media.
 News/press release: Written information that is deemed to be newsworthy. Often sent
out to journalists and/or interested parties.
 Pitch: A presentation of a recommended public relations programme, generally
carefully researched and costed, which can take up to four weeks to prepare and for
which some consultancies reserve the right to charge a fee if not subsequently
appointed.
 Podcast: A podcast is a series of digital computer files, usually either digital audio or
video that is released periodically and made available for download. New files can be
downloaded automatically by the podcatcher and stored locally on the user's computer
or other device for offline use, making it simpler for the user to download content that
is released episodically.
 Press Release (also known as a News Release): Statement describing an event or
item which is considered to be of sufficient interest to readers/viewers/listeners for an
editor to publish reference to it.
 Print Production: The process of producing printed material such as brochures,
posters and leaflets.
 Public Affairs/Lobbying: Those aspects of public relations communication involving
relations with governmental or statutory bodies or their semi-official organisations
through sophisticated use of political intelligence and pressure.
 Public Relations: The determined, planned and sustained effort to establish and
maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics. Also
understood as reputation management.
 Publics: Audiences important to the organisation.
 Research: Finding out background information about a company, product or person to
assist with a public relations campaign.
 Social media: Can take many different forms, including internet forums, message
boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video. Technologies include: blogs,
picture-sharing, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, to name a
few. Examples of social media applications are Google Groups (reference, social
networking), Wikipedia (reference), MySpace (social networking), Facebook (social
networking).

 Social Messaging: A social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time for
example, Twitter.
 Spokesperson: The PR person authorised to speak on behalf of an
organisation/individual.
 Stakeholders: Can also be referred to as publics; audiences important to the
organisation.
 Target market: The audience(s) the organisation has chosen to whom to
communicate its key messages.

Interesting Articles

Thanks to the internet media is now growing at a phenomenal rate, while this has its
advantages it can also have it disadvantages, such as it is now easy to miss news articles that
may be of interest to you. On this page we will post a number of articles that we think might
be of interest to students and graduates.

If you come across something yourself that you think would be of value to student members
send it in to Malcolm White MalcolmW@cipr.co.uk at the CIPR for consideration and if
relevant we'll post it on the website.

http://www.cipr.co.uk/content/training-qualifications/pr-student/careers-advice/articles-
interest

WORK PLACEMENTS

The public relations industry in the UK is thriving as the importance of reputation is
understood more and more by businesses. The PR market is particularly strong in cities, but
the seeming abundance of PR agencies and in-house teams doesn't always mean that there is a
surplus of jobs. This can mean that it is tough for students who are seeking work experience
and/or their first PR job. This section has tips on where to look for work experience
opportunities and a Work Placement Finder with information on organisations looking for
students to help them out.

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