In response to Adam Lewis's request at Flawless Buzz:
1. What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone entering the world of PR?
Find a way to add value. If you're a consultant, what can you uniquely offer your clients? If you're working in-house, how can you become a key member of the team?
This may sound daunting, but it's simple common sense really, and especially important in a recession. The need to add value should make you recognise the importance of specialising – sooner rather than later in your PR career.
2. The favourite part of your job?
Helping others to succeed. This may sound like an educator's evasion, but it was also true when I worked in PR management. I liked nothing more than recruiting talented people and helping them to succeed (often soaring ahead of me in the process).
3. Why did you decide to go into PR?
Nothing unusual here. I had a great magazine job with lots of international travel. But I was losing money just to get to work so needed to increase my salary. I'd seen many PR people in action and had an idea of who I'd like to work with. Luckily, the consultancy at the top of my list took me on. Within weeks I was advising a leading software company whose products I'd recently been reviewing. Within months, I was offered an in-house role with this company – which I turned down.
I perhaps should add that I was in my late 20s when I took my first PR job, and was helped by having some experience of journalism and the IT sector. Perhaps that's how I was able to add value from day one…
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Thanks for this Richard, feel free to tag others!