Our newest member of the PR team, Junior Account Exec Allyson shares her top tips in finding a graduate job in PR with us.
My three years at University went surprisingly quickly. Soon the shots and hangovers of Fresher’s week were a distant memory and all talk was of dissertations and final exams. As graduation drew closer it dawned on me that as, one of hundreds of graduates competing for similar jobs in the Midlands, my degree would only get me so far.
To my surprise my hunt for my ultimate graduate job didn’t take as long as I had expected. Within the first month of my search, having applied for various PR positions at around ten agencies, I attended five interviews that were closely followed by two offers. Here’s how I did it:
5 tips for finding a graduate job in PR
### 1. Get some experience
Alongside my studies I completed numerous PR work experience placements and internships. Being unpaid, at times it felt annoying and tedious but I am glad I persevered; not only did these experiences make me even more determined to land a paid PR job, they opened my eyes to agency life and helped me start building relationships.
### 2. Apply early
When is the best time to start putting the feelers out there in terms of finding a job? My advice is that it’s never too early. Securing employment can be extremely time consuming and deciding to start early rather than waiting for graduation can put you ahead of the pack. Explaining to an agency that you are on the cusp of graduating is much easier than trying to explain what you did for months after graduation because you couldn’t find work.
### 3. Be Street smart not just Book smart
Keeping up-to-date and being knowledgeable about your industry as well as the agencies you’d like to work for is so important. Interviews test your ability, skills and character but an interviewer is often looking for more. Stand out by commenting on campaigns the agency has been involved in, content they have posted or their client’s industries.
### 4. Don’t rely on recruitment agencies
I found that applying for positions through recruitment agencies was often a huge waste of time. I often felt treated as a generalised ‘student’ applicant, willing to accept any sort of position. I had hoped I’d be treated more as an individual. I quickly stopped trawling through job sites and began my own search. Top agencies often advertise vacancies on their own websites and through their social platforms rather than on recruitment sites.
### 5. Never underestimate the power of a personalised letter
The approach I took of directly approaching the agencies I was interested in with a tailored CV and personalised letter worked well for ensuring my application actually got read. As did giving the agency a quick call to find out who to approach directly, avoiding having my email languish in the inbox of the mysterious ‘info@’.
Becoming a Dreamer
As a relatively new company, I had never come across Superdream before. However the news, of the newly established PR department headed up by Gill Holtom, a total PR pro got me curious. Initially I walked into the interview with Jason Manning, Superdream’s MD, thinking I had already made up my mind on a previous offer. But little did I know that Jason would throw a total spanner in the works. Not only did he present the perfect pitch on behalf of Superdream, he sold me a career, a lifestyle and a future. He oozed passion and enthusiasm for his company and what it stood for. Instantly I knew that I wanted to be a dreamer too. A couple of months in, I couldn’t feel luckier to be one!