MATCHMAKER

×

Looking for a Public Relations Agency? Use our Free matching service to find the right agency for you.

User login

Starting out in PR: Advice on job hunting, CVs, and interviews

 

It’s really competitive to get a job in PR. We’ve been to PR job fairs (where we received about 30-40 CVs in the first hour alone) and hosted people like the excellent Taylor Bennett Foundation, so we’ve had a lot of opportunities to talk about what we look for, and general tips on job hunting.

Here are some thoughts (this isn’t a definitive guide, but hopefully it’s useful):

Research

  • We can’t stress this enough, but research research research. You job is a big part of your life, so you should dedicate time to it
  • Where do you start when you’re looking to break into PR? There are lists of the “top performing” agencies published regularly, and looking at major awards to see who was nominated can also be a good way to start
    • But neither of these can be taken in isolation, they’re just starting points. They don’t tell you much about the actual ethos or personality of the agency
  • The next step is to scour the Internet for mentions of the agency – go to their website and have a thorough read
    • Yes, you’ll come to realise that most agencies use the same language on their websites. And it will be packed with jargon. Persevere, and look up terms you don’t understand
    • Also, don’t be too impressed by the client logos – these are almost always a summary of current *and former* clients
    • And on that note, just because you see the logo for a massive multinational / hot Silicon Valley company, that agency may only do a small part of the overall PR e.g. speaker bureau
  • It’s really obvious when we speak to candidates who don’t know anything about Nelson Bostock – we have a blog, active Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn channels – there’s a wealth of information and insight into the agency from those. Essential reading for when you’re finding agencies, as well as prepping ahead of an interview
    • If the agency you’re looking at doesn’t have much in the way of Social presence, have a look at industry sites like PR Moment or the PRCA site
    • If the job spec includes mentions of specific clients the role is for, you should do a quick Google news search for recent coverage / issues

Once you’ve found the agencies you want to apply to, there’s the question of how you do it. Every once in a while you see a good stunt from someone, but unless you’ve got an ingenious idea, chances are it’ll be a CV and cover letter.

CVs

  • Tailor your CV. It can be hard to get that first break into PR, which leads people to apply to every job they see, and drop speculative CVs. There’s nothing wrong with going far and wide (as long as you’re not getting into a field you know you won’t enjoy) but we’ve seen there’s a temptation to use a generic style CV. When we’re reading a stack of CVs it’s easy to see who’s not made any time to tailor their CV to each agency / job role - it makes far more of an impact. Even if it’s just a simple mention of the agency in a cover note. Which leads us to…
  • There are lots of different styles of CV, but we tend to like the ones which have a short paragraph describing the applicant. Yes it’s easy for them to be packed full of jargon and buzzwords, but it’s also one of the few chances to show some personality - otherwise your CV is just a long list of qualifications. Impressive as they may be, they may not tell a story
  • It’s good to demonstrate a little personality in that paragraph – you don’t have a lot of experience, but think about situations where you’ve had transferable skills. And show some passion – if you’re not excited about the prospect of working in PR or at that agency, then you may as well not bother
  • Even if your CV feels sparse, don’t take up space by listing all of your GCSEs. Just a single line on them is fine e.g. 9 GCSEs, A-C, including English and Maths. We can’t recall a single time when those GCSEs have made a difference in us asking someone to come in for an interview, and most agencies will do basic writing tests anyway
  • Try to keep your CV to no more than two sides of A4. Chances are if you’re going for an entry level job you might not have a huge amount of experience anyway, but don’t feel that you need to pad it out
  • Think about design, but not too much. It needs to look clean and crisp, but don’t go overboard on fonts and box outs
  • Photos. It’s a tricky one. For a CV you send directly to a PR agency, we’d say there’s no need to include a picture. But if you’re at a job fair event, it can be a great way to jog the memory of the agency sifting through a stack of 30 CVs from the day

Interviews

  • Preparation is everything. Learn about the company and the clients. Challenge yourself to learn a bit about the industry as well
  • Turn up early. 15 minutes is the sweet spot, and earlier and it’s awkward for everyone
    • If you are running late, send a message to your contact at the agency as quickly as possible
  • Phone on silent. You don’t need to look at it during the interview
  • Dress smart. You need to try and nod to the personality of the agency a little – no point in wearing a suit to a consumer PR agency interview, but don’t turn up in ripped jeans and a t-shirt, either
  • They should have a copy of your CV, but bring one or two along just in case
  • Make eye contact, sit up straight – basic but important
  • Ask questions – what are they most proud of, what kind of training do they offer juniors, how many juniors progress through the agency, will you get chances to write, to pitch, to meet journos face-to-face
  • I’ve heard different opinions on this, but I tend to think you shouldn’t discuss salary in the first interview. You should already have a loose guide from the job spec, and even if not, it’s something which can wait until the second interview
  • It’s not always needed, but send a thank you note to your contact at the agency

Other things to consider

  • Potential employers are going to look you up on social media channels – review your privacy, and be careful about what you post (which is also good life advice in general!)
  • If you don’t get the job, you can absolutely ask for feedback from the agency
  • Not getting a job isn’t the end of the world. A trait in PR is tenacity