PR Work Experience

Following on from our top five tips below, I thought I'd go into a bit more detail about PR work experience.

I recently gave a talk to Media & Communications students at the University of Leicester and tried to stress, along with the other speakers, how vital work experience is.

A degree really doesn't prepare you; you need to be proactive, get out into the industry and get some practical experience - even if it means giving up all your holidays for the next year!!

If you've decided on a career change, it doesn't matter what degree / past jobs you've had if you've got some good work experience.

Unfortunately, because there are just four of us here, we don't have the resources to take on people for work experience. But I spent most of my uni holidays working for free, and that's what got me my first job.

Here are some tips on finding PR / communications work experience that can help you get your foot on the career-ladder;

•Get out and meet people – ask them if they know of any opportunities
•Try all communications companies – design, advertising, marketing, events, PR etc
•Unpaid placements – be flexible with days, times etc
•Informal chat & shadowing – helps to gain contacts & recommendations
•Freelance work for charities, local clubs & societies – good for experience and shows initiative
•Events – hold your own event or offer to help others
•Build a portfolio – this is vital! Take it to interviews and talk through it

Searching for PR work experience;

•Websites; for in-house try the ‘news’ or ‘press’ sections
•Yellow Pages / Yell.com – send letters and follow-up with a phone call
•University notice board & your Student Union
•CIPR website - www.cipr.co.uk
•PRCA - www.prca.org.uk
•Agencies such as Reed, JFL Recruitment, Blue Skies, Kelso Jones, Hot Prospects. For more agencies try www.rec.uk.com
•Media Guardian
•Local papers – jobs & business pages

Although we don't take people for work experience, it's worth sending your CV in because we do keep them on file - dianneallen@geminiprmarketing.com

Helen