This post was originally written at Adam’s personal blog, flawlessbuzz.
PR week has recently posted an article on the prospects for recent graduates hoping to enter the PR industry. Unsurprisingly, most graduates are finding it difficult to get their big break with considerably more applicants applying for considerably less places shown by the Association of Graduate Recruiter’s survey which found that there are 48 applicants for every graduate vacancy. This figure is likely to be far higher in the PR industry, one of the most sought after industries for recently graduated students.
Personally, I found that this mark was closer to the 100 mark. This added to the fact that there are usually significant barriers for students applying like degree class, certain GCSEs gained, and only allowing graduates from a top class university which means that a graduate must be pretty clued up when applying to go into PR.
After applying for various grad schemes and experiencing various internships, here’s some advice which should help you get one step ahead of other graduates applying.
1. Get into social media
Should go without saying but even if you don’t want to get into digital pr or social media, having a decent amount of knowledge about it will do you. Start a blog, start tweeting, post some flickr photos, upload a youtube video, start chatting on facebook. If you’re not doing any of these, you’re seriously lacking behind a lot of your competition.
2. Get some knowledge
Read anything you can get your hands on. Papers, blogs, web magazines, newsletters, practically anything which someone in PR might have had a hand in creating. The more you read, the more opinions (with substance) you should have on subjects. Learn about campaigns you like/don’t like, read about what’s the latest social media tool/fad and have a look at what every PR person should know.
3. Get some experience
Why do you want to work in PR? Is it the allure of fast cars, exotic women and high-flying celebs? Well, it shouldn’t be because it really isn’t like that. The best way of finding this out is to go get some experience. You’ll find out if PR is right for you, which sector of PR is right for you and if the company you’re working for is good for you. There’s no point in starting at a low-level at a PR agency to find out you hate the industry and/or sector (found out after experiencing an internship in a sector I didn’t enjoy). And it can’t harm that CV can it?
4. Get some research done
How do you know which companies to apply to? By doing a lot of research. PR Week lists the top companies for different sectors, some companies actively advertise internships up for grabs, and if you go to a company’s website they usually have some information on their clients, recent work and personnel. These often give you a decent idea on whether that company is right or wrong for you.
5. Ask
Because of the nature of the job (or maybe just a coincidence?), nearly everyone I’ve met in PR is incredibly nice and extremely helpful. I had no idea what I was doing when I started out in the social media world. So I asked. And people answered. This isn’t just lowly people at the bottom of the PR pile who work for some terrible company. This is everyone who I asked, from MDs of start-ups to CEOs of some of the biggest agencies in the country. If you’re really scared, just ask me! There are enough people out there who got into PR in some part to other people helping them and who are more than happy to pass their wisdom on (I hope).
These 5 steps should help any budding PR enthusiast have a head-start on other graduates, check the shinyred blog throughout the year for details of internships or graduate vacancies.
