Securing an Interview in PR – Advice from a University Graduate
Graduates tend to think that the degree you get at University dictates the industry you get into. Speaking as someone with a degree in Television and Broadcasting, I can definitely vouch against that! I made my mind up in my third year of University that I wanted to go into PR and since then, I’ve learnt a thing or two about the application process…
Do your research
The first bit of advice is ‘Do your research’. Find out about different companies in the area of PR you want to get into. Think of it like shopping for a contract phone; you wouldn’t just get the first one you see and be happy with it, would you? Each company has its own way of operating and it’s important that you look into these and find what’s best for you – it’s a career, not a job so you’d better be sure you’re going to enjoy it!
CV
CV’s are important because they’re the first impression that an employer will have. Writing a CV for a job in PR is different to the standard ‘apply for anything’ CV filled with every bit of experience you’ve had since you were 5. Make it look stylish and tailor the CV to the company based on the job listing (if there is one) whilst trying to make your personality and interests come across. It’ll help the employer decide not only if you’re good for the role but, put bluntly, whether they’d want to work with you for an extended period of time!
There’s one word that sends shudders down the spine of every graduate – “experience”. These days it’s more about experience than qualifications alone, which is both a blessing and a curse. Most jobs say they want someone with experience but how’re you supposed to get experience if you can’t get a job? It’s a vicious cycle! One option is (usually unpaid) internships – I did a short internship at a tech start-up, which was helpful on my CV as well as giving me a taste of what the PR world is like.
It doesn’t have to be directly related as experience can come in other forms – I run a technology blog in my spare time and that was a major factor in getting interviews in tech PR. Why? Because they could see that I had a passion for technology and was a place to showcase my writing skills. You can say what you’re good at on your CV until you’re blue in the face but it’s always better to back it up with evidence!
In my experience, I researched PR companies and contacted them myself instead of going down the recruitment agency route. This will make you stand out to a lot of employers because you’ve personally sought them out and shows that you’re committed to getting a job in PR. The email can be pretty daunting as it’s the first contact that you’ll have with your potential employer and first impressions count! The most difficult thing is to try and get the right combination of being formal while still letting your personality come through. Stilted emails are a one way ticket to the recycling bin and mass emailing should be something you avoid like the plague!
The aim of the email is to get the employer interested without revealing everything about you. Keep it to the point and tease them (figuratively of course), make them want to see more of what you have to offer! Include the strongest points about why you believe you’d be an asset to their company and try to tie your reasoning in with what the company are looking for. Remember, the likelihood is that they’re getting a lot of very similar emails so you need to make it memorable enough that they want to look at your CV.