Careers

Still sexy after all these years?
In five years since graduating, Katherine Shenton has won awards for her PR work and has experience of working in the public sector, for an agency and now freelance. Adele Roberts profiles a PR star. Foot in the door
How can you position yourself amongst crowds of graduates and secure a good starting position in PR? Joe Richards describes how to take the first steps on this journey. Dear PR, You’re dumped.
Dear PR, I’ve cheated on you. I’ve met someone called marketing communications and you’re dumped, writes Jeannyfar Gelpcke. Gain experience – and do good
Struggling to find interesting placement opportunities? You should volunteer for a charity comms team says Danielle Stott. It’s not what you know, but who you know
Students are told to find work experience placements to build their CVs. But even unpaid shadowing opportunites are hard to find, reports Adele Roberts. Mock Interview with CIPR’s Phil Morgan
Phil Morgan, Director of Policy and Communications at the CIPR answers some common interview questions to provide inspiration for PR graduates. How to make it in PR
Mission Agency’s Justin McKeown gives his five top tips for making it in the PR industry. PrettyGreen recruit learns the ropes
‘Initially, what really struck me was the quirky nature of the office; they had a big Union Jack fridge, a great open plan layout and the meeting room was furnished with a ping-pong table’. Alex Judd describes his placement at award-winning consultancy Pretty Green. Keep on wearing that big smile of yours
Internships in the US are often unpaid, but Charlotte Giver would do it all over again. She reports on her year as a fashion PR intern in Los Angeles. A degree in Journalism is not enough
A good degree in Sports Journalism wasn’t enough. Steven Woodgate has found the right combination in an MA in PR and work experience at a non-league football club. Never a dull day in fashion PR
What’s it like working in PR for a fashion retailer? Rosey Stones reports on her summer placement at Isabella Oliver. Patience, passion and persistence
For any student approaching the end of university, finding a job is a daunting prospect. New PR graduate Ellie Stokes recounts her struggles and successes. Lord Protector of Happiness
With increased student debt, record high youth unemployment and general down in the dumpness, there has never been a worse time to be a student. To reverse this The Student Happiness Movement is looking to appoint a number of Lord Protectors of Happiness to make university and college campuses happier and more productive places to be, so that students can flourish. Mind the career gap
The gap year used to be taken before university. Now people take travel gaps all all stages, even mid career. Laura Smith reports on travel trends. Why become a ‘fan’ of the CIPR?
Keen graduates cannot gain a fast track to CIPR membership, so are limited to becoming a ‘fan’ of the institute – for a fee. Oana Baetica thinks this is bad for graduates and bad for the profession. Graduate job hunt 2.0
It’s tough graduating in a recession, but Laura Smith finds some reasons to be hopeful. There are still jobs available, you just need to look in different places for them. Working in-house at Macmillan
Macmillan cancer support offers a number of internships throughout the year. In this article Stephen Nunes and Ed Thornton, both currently interning at Macmillan, take a look at the work they do for the charity. My experience at Bright One
With Bright One founder, Ben Matthews, guest editing Behind The Spin this month, Hayley Chow gives us an insight to what it is like working for the volunteer-led agency. Whatever happened to the likely grads?
It’s tough for graduates to differentiate themselves in the scramble for career opportunities. Ben Smith of PRmoment.com tells how Sarah Murray made the breakthrough. What to wear: diary of an intern
‘Lucky PR girl’ Jeannyfar Gelpcke describes a typical day in the office. It’s a costume drama. Unpaid internships: no pay, no play?
A BBC documentary has sparked a fierce debate about unpaid internships in public relations. Hannah Corkish and Carys Samuel consider the lessons learned and offer their advice to fellow students. Fashion: the business of image
Fashion makes headlines; it’s also big business. Jessica North discusses how to break into this competitive area. So you want to work in entertainment PR?
Laura Crimmons profiles Zoe Baldwin, a PR graduate and practitioner who has launched a website to help other students. The CIPR Foundation Award: money well spent?
There’s a new entry-level PR qualification. Undergraduate student Karl Booton tells how he gained the CIPR Foundation Award. Lessons learned since uni
New PR consultant Katy Jameson reports on ten lessons learned since she graduated last summer. Male models, blindfolds, and a gorgeous rugby player
Working for Manchester-based ‘events and live communication’ agency Ear to the Ground is the seventh placement I have completed since the start of my degree in public relations, writes Emma Fawcett. Bright ones seek to impress
Impress London was a one-day conference to connect employers with PR students and hopefuls. Carli Smith reports for Behind the Spin. Final year: a time to fear or a time to shine?
Final year students are understandably focused on their dissertations. But, as Natalie Smith explains, they should set their sights on graduate opportunities too. Social media, PR and the next big thing
Managing Director of 33 Digital, Drew Benvie, explains the origins of working in social media before the phrase even existed. Positive profile for footballers: here’s how to do it
Football operates in the short term and bad publicity follows footballers. It doesn’t have to be like this, says sports and entertainment PR specialist Will Wood. Getting your name out there and why it’s important
PR students are constantly being reminded of the importance of reputation, so why not put some of your effort into applying the techniques studied into your own lives? It is a concept Carli Smith likes to call: Brand Me. PR is reputation management, not events management
First year students are often confused about the distinction between Public Relations and Events Management. Katerina Hejralova has studied both subjects at university and describes the many similarities and differences between the disciplines. How to get a First in PR
Bethany Ansell graduated with a first class degree in Public Relations and Communication from Southampton Solent University. Here’s what worked for her in achieving her goal. Jobs and placement links
Useful links for those seeking jobs or internships in public relations. PR and marketing: two sides of a coin
Public relations and marketing are often confused and sometimes seen in opposition to each other. Nathaniel Southworth-Barlow ACIM discusses what PR can learn from marketing – and vice versa. Blinded by the paps
The expectations are rising and the media is fragmenting – but consumer and lifestyle PR business is still conducted at celebrity parties says Jason Gale. Twelve months on
One year ago, Jess Hall was a graduating student. Here she reflects on her year in a PR consultancy and offers advice to those who would follow in her footsteps. Not just PRty girls
Carli Smith responds to a recent Behind the Spin article by giving her take on ‘what is PR?’ Trick interview question: what is PR?
Successful graduate applicant Michael Higham describes the process of applying to work in a PR consultancy. From Bournemouth to Sandbanks
Bournemtouth Graduate Amy Wallett has joined Liz Lean PR in Sandbanks, Dorset. Carly’s a new rising star
A new work placement scheme at University of Lincoln has started brightly, reports Jane Crofts. 10 second tip from 10 Yetis
‘Always keep your ear to the ground and listen out for a good story’, says Emma of 10 Yetis in her ten second tip. How to get started in PR
You may get a good degree, but will you secure a good graduate job? Hannah Stephenson reports on the challenges facing final year PR students. A planner’s guide to starting a PR career
Finding graduate opportunities is challenging in a recession. But a strong applicant and a growth business make a winning combination, as Katy Jameson recounts. Pay for placements?
Payment for placements is a hot topic on both sides of the Atlantic. It appears unpaid internships might be illegal in the US, but they’re still seen as worthwhile in the UK when arranged for educational purposes. The CIPR’s revised Work Placement Charter addresses this grey area reports Richard Bailey. Only 22% of top PR pros are actively using Twitter
While researching a Twitter list of top PR practitioners, David Clare and Emily Cagle found that few were active participants in the medium of the moment. Why, they wonder, is this the case? Bright Ideas, Big City
Students at Birmingham City University are working on a project to revitalise the city’s creative network, as Sarah Stevenson describes. A spoonful of sugar: health service communications
PR student Peter Finnegan contacted Tony Ellis, head of communications at Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust, for this Behind the Spin interview. In at the deep end
CIPR student representative Michael White had to learn quickly once his PR event grew beyond the confines of the university. The development of public relations in Romania
A Romanian studying PR in the UK, Oana Jinga discusses the growth of the industry in her home country with a PR student in Bucharest. Guide to celebrity endorsement
Celebrities can add lustre to a launch, but there are risks as well as rewards when it comes to celebrity endorsement. Golley Slater’s Agatha Chapman-Poole offers her advice. Survival of the specialist
Success in your chosen field depends on your ability to work hard and gain specialist skills and knowledge, argues Jan Felt. Confessions of a Facebook addict
The growth in digital PR opportunities has encouraged Clare Thomas to re-evaluate her ambition to work in fashion. Besides, it’s a good place to be for a Facebook addict. Media relations: it’s about relationships, not spam
According to a new campaign, 1.7 billion irrelevant press releases are sent out in the UK each year. What happened to media relationships, asks Carli Smith. Bridging the digital skills gap
Despite the recession, there’s a shortage of talent in digital PR. Ben Cotton asks what graduates should know and do to meet this demand. Learning the rules of PR writing
Writing stories as a PR professional should be a doddle for an experienced journalist like me. Or so I thought, as I prepared for a short internship in the communications office at Cambridge University, writes Nick Rennie. Golden rules for getting work experience in a PR agency
Being accepted for PR work experience requires you to show good communication skills. Agency boss Steve McComish reveals what works for him. My career: from uni to UN
Just a year on from graduating, Richard Millington is now Social Media/Online Community Manager at the United Nations in Geneva. He tells how he built is CV to secure this opportunity. Public Relations graduate schemes
Ben Cotton has compiled a list of PR consultancies running graduate schemes in 2010. How to secure your placement
You’re on a sandwich course, starting your second year at university and you’ve just been told to think about the internship you’re told you’ll need for next year. So what should you expect? Be prepared for a shock, says Nathaniel Southworth-Barlow. ABC of B2B
Leaving university and starting a PR job meant learning the ropes of business-to-business copywriting for Sarah Callender. Here she shares her tips on making the adjustment. Student from Leeds ‘lives it and loves it’ in Manchester
A placement year can seem a daunting challenge, but for Amanda Fox it meant working in a new sector in a new city – and never looking back. The glamour game
Placement student Alice Harper was excited to represent an international cosmetics brand. In this article she discusses whether her preconceptions matched the reality of being involved in beauty PR. The real work starts here
During her placement year with a charity, Claire Pace learnt about Britain’s biggest killer and turned in the process from being a PR student into a PR practitioner. ‘Chicago School’ leads the world in PR careers advice
There’s much valuable experience and free advice out there on blogs for those in the early stages of their PR careers. Richard Bailey recommends two, coincidentally both produced by Chicago-based PR consultants. Ben Matthews: All in a day’s work
Ben Matthews describes a busy day in the life of a PR consultant who chooses to do public relations voluntary work in his spare time. How to be a student professional
Tom Lay describes the first year of a not-for-profit, student-run PR consultancy, Raw Sunshine. Agency or charity: which is best for me?
With two very different placements under her belt, first year PR student Laura Crimmons assesses their merits Face to face or Facebook?
Emma Long explores the approaches PR students can use to make friends and influence people in the industry in a PR student’s guide to networking Why I’m leaving PR
Behind the Spin’s news editor Laura Smith tells why she’s leaving public relations. How to start a PR consultancy business
It would take a brave individual to start a company straight out of university. But with a couple of years’ experience under your belt it’s realistic option. As PR entrepreneur and Speed managing director Stephen Waddington describes, there’s opportunity aplenty for new businesses in the PR and communications industry. So you wannabe a PR star?
Public relations remains a popular career choice, but many first year students have an unrealistic picture of what’s involved. Richard Bailey discusses what you should know about your chosen course and career. Hard Times or Great Expectations?
With the economy in reverse-thrust, Laura Smith asks what this means for the job prospects of PR graduates. Don’t OD on your FB
A student not addicted to Facebook? Amy Grimshaw explains why and how she kicked the habit. Public relations or public enemy?
Postgraduate student Tessa Lewis considers the poor reputation of PR and wonders how much this matters. PR bunnies or natural born communicators?
It’s no secret that women outnumber me in PR. Amanda Wadlow asks why this should be. Jobs * PR jobs * PR
It’s that time of year again: graduate schemes are filling up and placement jobs are being taken. We list some useful online sources for job seeking students and graduates. Paid to party?
Samantha Jones may be sassy, sexy and sophisticated, but she can’t teach you anything about public relations. Laura Smith tells how she got over the disappointment that a PR degree course is not a rehearsal for Sex and the City. PR student’s guide to work experience
If you’re judged on your last job, then make sure it’s a good one says Katy Marshall in this guide to placement year opportunities. Does learning really lead to earning?
Alice Harper assesses the true value of a public relations degree. Podcasting primer for PR
Rachel Harrison has worked with a podcasting pioneer, and provides a beginner’s guide to podcasting.