Maggie Austen, nee Baddeley - Croydon High School 1980 - 1989

How about a career in public relations?

PR degrees have become popular but they are not a prerequisite for entering the profession. Most PR professionals I have met do have a degree but in subjects ranging from law and science to languages and arts.  I graduated with an English Literature degree and was not at all sure what I wanted to do next. After learning how to touch type I temped for a while and then worked for 18 months in the editorial department of a book publisher in London. I discovered I enjoyed writing and had a flair for event management but realised I wanted a more people-orientated career than publishing. I moved to Manchester and took up an administrative post in a PR agency. By showing myself to be keen and eager to learn I became involved in account handling work. I was then made an account executive and was given my own accounts to work on. They were very wide ranging and included home furnishing brands, fitness products, a football club, a basketball team and luxury watches. I learned how to pitch for new business, write press releases, features and newsletters, set up press interviews with journalists, organise media briefings and corporate hospitality events, create crisis PR plans and travelled the length and breadth of Britain on client business. After two years I accepted a job with a larger PR agency and was promoted to account manager. This meant I had greater responsibility, more clients and could train junior account handlers.  The next logical move would have been to work for a promotion to account director but after having my first child I decided the unpredictable hours an agency demands were incompatible with small children so I set up on my own as a freelance PR consultant, working from home.  This has its own challenges but being my own boss and dictating my own hours is extremely enjoyable. Three years and two children later I am still doing it and still finding it rewarding.

As well as working for big brands and household names from all sectors, it is also possible really to specialise in a particular type of PR such as pharmaceuticals or sports sponsorship. Rather than working for a PR agency you can get a job working for one company as an ‘in-house’ PR although agency experience is often useful. PR briefs very enormously but usually involve generating positive media coverage and keeping any potentially negative coverage to a minimum.  The ability to build up a good rapport with clients quickly and maintain good relationships with journalists is essential. An eye for a good story, a talent for writing and unflagging enthusiasm for your clients’ business are also vital.  PR is not a 9-5 job as it often involves work in the evenings and at weekends. Although it sometimes has a glamorous image there is a lot of hard work involved, especially when you are working for several different clients at once.  If you want a challenging career with great variety then you should definitely consider it.

I am happy to be contacted via the Minerva website but am unable to offer work experience.