Having joined Faith PR last March, this was my first job in the PR industry following my graduation with a degree in journalism. I had previously done a short placement with the Faith team, but this was my only real experience in the world of PR. While there are a myriad of transferable skills from journalism to the PR industry, there were some things that were completely new to me. These first few months have taught me a lot and I have learnt a range of new skills while adapting to office life.
Be ready for anything
The first thing that working in the PR industry has taught me is to be ready for anything. You can plan your days to the minute but there will always be something that pops up unexpectedly. Being able to work around this and ensure the job gets done is key. Being able to switch from task to task throughout the day is vital to keep each account moving forward and tackle any surprises that come your way.
Communication is key
Whether it be with your colleagues, clients or the media, building relationships is a crucial skill when working in the PR industry. Having strong relationships with an easy, flowing communication stream will allow things to keep moving smoothly and any issues or questions to be resolved as soon as possible.
Working within the Faith team, we are always asking questions and learning new things from other colleagues who have different skillsets, this is great as we can all work together and help each other when needed – a true team effort!
Be open to developing new skills
While great copywriting skills and time management are essential for a career in the PR industry, other skills such as graphic design, reporting and video editing can come in handy. Be willing to hone your skills and be open minded to learning new things. Here at Faith we are always looking for ways to expand our expertise, whether that means attending specialist courses, trial and error or learning from each other’s talents to develop the skillset of the team as a whole.
There is no one size fits all
When working in the PR industry, you have to be prepared to face challenges. In some jobs there will be a set procedure for how certain tasks are carried out and certain problems dealt with. In the PR industry, this isn’t the case. Each client is different and will require a bespoke strategy. While you may do social media and blog content for two clients, the work will never be done in the same way. For example, the highly technical blogs you may write for an energy company would differ totally in style, target audience and tone to those for a fast-food company. Each client and each project requires you to be creative and think outside the box, putting yourself in their shoes and their target customer’s shoes.
I am picking up new skills every day and looking forward to learning lots more as my career progresses. To find out more about the PR industry and the services we offer at Faith PR, click here.
Recent Comments