Getting the most out of your placements

• Who we are • The first impression• Working across accounts• Media relations • Social media• Writing • CV• Going above and beyond • Conclusion

What we will discuss

“We are a team of sector specialist consultants adept at pinpointing great talent. We give relevant advice as we have many networks to leverage from.

Who are the works?

Our Clients

“European PR & Events Controller – Accolade Wines

Executive SearchSarah handles senior assignments on a search and contingency basis.

Her focus is primarily in corporate and financial communications. Most of her candidates are sourced through referrals and many exclusively register with her.

With 14 years of recruitment experience, Sarah is widely acknowledged as a leading player in the sector. She ran The Works for a short time prior to going into partnership with Lynne Wilkins at which point they bought the business.

Sarah Leembruggen – Managing Partner

Senior Vice President – FTI Consulting

Account Executives to Senior Account Managers Tarasyn focuses on supporting account executives, account managers

and press officers to make great career moves across all the PR disciplines.

Tarasyn was formerly a research analyst at a leading market research agency handling reports for Blue Chip companies. She holds a degree in Politics and Sociology from the University of Exeter and whilst studying held

internships at ‘Bell Pottinger’ and in Government.

Tarasyn Whitehead-Patey – Consultant

Look Student days are behind you (for now). Dress for the job you want, not the job you have

Manner Adapt and embrace the office lingo and etiquette, no one expects to teach you!

Enthusiasm Nothing goes down better than employees that are enthusiastic about what they are doing

Confidence You don’t need to fake it, you just need to feel it

Going above and beyond Going the extra mile is the making of a successful PR career

For example…

The first impression

Working across accounts

• Research different clients, accounts and people• High pressure, fast paced• Multi-tasking• Understand colleagues are busy!• Sometimes you will feel like a dog’s body

“Get to grips with your admin as early as possible; create a features list / press list, make sure you're on top”.

- Account Manager Corporate PR consultancy

Media relations

– Communications Manager Video PR agency

• Know media titles and journalists• Start building your network • Selling-in!• Making a journo’a job easy • Diligence, diligence, diligence

“Get to know the media titles you will be pitching to and within the sectors your clients work within. You should know them inside out”.

– PR Manager Consumer PR agency

Social media

– PR Manager Consumer PR agency

• Your future employers expect you to be ahead of the social media game

• Professional and personal

– PR Manager Consumer PR agency

Writing

– Communications Manager Video PR agency

• Embrace any opportunity to write • Get the small stuff right – spelling and grammar• Bring in creativity when the opportunity arises • Adapt to different writing styles • Learn to do it quickly • Know your press release!

“Write! Offer to write opinion articles or if the agency has their own blog, get blogging! This will help improve your writing skills for the future when you're then writing on behalf of clients”.

– Communications Manager Digital PR agency

Networking

–

• Invaluable resource• Building contacts• It is not what you know• Fuels enthusiasm • This is the time to invest in building these

contacts • Free wine and food!

“if there's a chance to meet people in the industry. Take it. If your team is going for drinks. Go with. Increase your face time with all of them”.– PR Manager International Travel PLC

“Take the opportunity to go to as many free industry events as possible; both PR related and those relevant to your client sectors. This way you'll learn what's happening in the industry... as you get busier you won't have as much free time to attend these”.

– PR Executive HR Association

Your CV

– Communications Manager Video PR agency

– Communications Manager Digital PR agency

NAMEPersonal details•Email•Mobile•Address•Linked In/ Twitter/ Blog

Summary (not essential but can be useful if you are changing career or sector)Keep this short and interesting and write in the first person. Summarise your experience, your skill set and what you are looking for in a new role but be careful not to use clichés e.g. ‘self motivated, capable of taking initiative’

Work experience:

Dates (e.g. May 2010-present), Company name, Job titleClients include: … (obviously only include if you work in an agency)

Key responsibilities: (include topics such as media relations; writing; client relationships; line management responsibilities etc)

•Forged strong relationships with target media resulting in regular, high quality national and broadcast coverage•Effectively managed high profile crisis situations (e.g.) securing senior comment and minimising negative publicity.

Key achievements:

•List a couple of achievements/highlights you are particularly proud of – this could be coverage gained, a crisis or event well managed etc but give specific examples and results.

REPEAT FOR OTHER JOBS - but only include those which are directly relevant (i.e. PR experience)

Education: Dates, UniversityDegree subject, grade achievedSchoolDates, A Level subjects and grades (e.g. History - A)Dates, GCSE (e.g. 9A*)

Training/Skills/LanguagesExtra-curricular activities/awards/interests•List key awards/interests e.g. Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award

References available on request

Don’t write CV/Curriculum Vitae at the top – it adds nothing. Make your name a couple of font sizes bigger than everything else

If you choose to put social media links on your CV make sure that your accounts are a) active, b) professional c) worth reading!

Summarise key responsibilities and experience with specific examples, ideally related back to the client. Use proactive words (e.g. ‘Forged’, ‘Managed’, ‘Secured’) and give examples of results

Keep this up to date with your strongest achievements

No need to list all subjects at GCSE but say how many and what grades)

No need to provide references on your CV

Mention if you speak any languages (fluently) or have been on any formal training courses e.g. for social media/writing etc

Bullet point your experience and write CV in the first person BUT beware of overusing ‘I’. A good way of doing this is to remove the personal pronoun e.g. ‘Generated media coverage in…’, ‘Managed a team’ of…’

If you choose to have a personal summary make sure you adapt it to every job you apply for

It is not compulsory to include your date of birth, nationality etc because of equality legislation

Senior Vice President – FTI ConsultingSo, what is the number one attribute you need to be successful in PR?

Senior Vice President – FTI ConsultingWhat do you think?

Going above and beyond

• These skills are necessary, but they have to tie in with the right attitude• And to stand above the rest? Have a positive attitude!! • You will make mistakes• Always think of two solutions

Conclusion

– PR Manager Consumer PR agency

• First impression• Do your homework• Positive attitude – get the right mindset • Working across accounts, media relations, writing,

networking and your CV • Always offer to help • Enjoy!

Senior Vice President – FTI Consulting

The Works Search and Selection 52 Brook StreetLondon W1K 5DSwww.the-works.co.uk

Any questions?