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back Kirsty Veenhuysen... Survey Contributor: Kirsty Veenhuysen BA PGCE MCIM MCIPR Senior Lecturer/ Chartered Marketer Unit leader in 2005 for: Introduction to PR & Media Relations; (Level 1); Marketing & PR (Level 2); Intercultural Communication & International Marketing; PR Strategy & Management (Level 3) What areas of communication have you worked in? Marketing (product launches, exhibitions & media relations) and Corporate communication (with focus on trade and shareholder relations). Technology and Automotive industries mainly working within B2B and dealing with manufacturers, importers/ exporters, distributors, research bodies and industry advisors etc. My work has given me mostly international experience having worked with USA, Chinese, Japanese, German, Italian and Turkish clients, suppliers or employers. Have also worked in leisure / tourism and education training service industries. Have worked in-house and as a consultant (although less so for the latter as insufficient time recently). I have also set up and ran an entrepreneurial venture and have general business/managerial experience from this. What are the most important skills needed to work in these industries? To be in PR & Communications you need the following core skills: Verbal/ Writing skills – for ‘the basics’ Analytical & Persuasive skills – for sound planning & decision-making Organisational & Time Mgt. skills – for successful execution of plans Specialist Industry knowledge/ skills – can be defining feature especially as you go up the ladder. My top tip: tailor your learning to your career choice. In today’s labour market, one needs to have breadth and also become a specialist so be a ‘generalist specialist’. What personal qualities do you think employers look for? Confidence but not arrogance Good presentation & reliability incl. attention to detail Honesty & ‘Fresh’ but with constructive contributions Enthusiasm & perseverance Sensitive and open/ approachable/ likeable as a person Balanced listener and talker, doer & thinker Ability to learn from your environment/people as well as from your mistakes Ability to work in teams, motivate them as a leader and stand it alone when needed A moral code that can be respected My top tip: Be a “”Realistic visionary “ What would impress you most on a C.V.? Relevance of what you studied: e.g. mix of theory and practice; marks gained; specialism or extended piece of work done; practical ‘live’ projects conducted and examples of visuals/ plans produced (i.e. a Portfolio at interview) Relevance of your work experience: e,g. often linked to what the employer is interested in i.e. if Fashion PR workplacements in the same field. Any extras – to stand out further – e.g. international experience, language, charity or local society involvement, other personal initiatives such as additional training or hobbies. How active you are and effective are you in these. The breadth of these activities also show up your ability to deal with a wide variety of people. My top tip: all CVs, to have maximum effect, should be tailored to the employer/job application. Presentation (visuals, structure, grammar) is also absolutely key – its your only platform to showcase your ability prior to interviews. What part of work in the industry did you most enjoy, and why? Interpersonal dealings with key accounts/clients and suppliers abroad. Friendships can develop and you enjoy the hospitality aspect as well as can feel good to share the success with colleagues/stakeholders – when things go well of course. Media relations and exhibition work can be hard work but fun due to the ‘buzz’ and face to face contact and new people you meet. Evaluation of results can be rewarding as all plans/campaigns are a surprise until they really happen. Conflict management and bargaining can also be an area that is rewarding as you build ‘bridges’ between people and negotiate deals that are mutually workable and become the start of potentially ‘big’ projects. What is the most important practical skill we should remember from the unit you taught us? (based on my current year 2005 teaching): From Level 1 unit: that you can run events, write news releases, conduct press conferences, do media scans, planning and evaluation. Have a sound understanding of what PR is and relevant basic theory in order to coherently explain what PR is, why it can be more than ‘spin’, the variety of PR practices and application in different industries, how PR operates in house and in consultancies, what PR jobs and skills/qualities required. Know the media environment, historical aspects that relate to the development of PR & key sub-disciplines e.g. issues/crisis management, ethics, code of practice & CSR, events management & PR planning, new media & impact of technology on PR work. Have a taster as being a consultant and show up your team ability and personal responsibility to provide consultancy services to a ‘live client’. From level 2 unit: have a sound understanding of wide range of marketing principles from research/ PEST/SWOTs, consumer and competitor behaviour, segmenting/ targeting, strategy/ planning, case study assessments to learn from practice examples, specialist areas of e-marketing, not for profit marketing, societal/green-marketing, customer relationship marketing, service marketing, etc Also an important chunk of the unit focuses on marketing communications & Marketing PR and a sound awareness of key features and uses of promotional mix tools is essential. Again practice of applying this for a ‘live client’ and putting together a marketing communication plan will effectively make you work out when to use or how to use advertising, PR, direct marketing, sponsorship, personal selling, sales promotions etc and to meet what objectives and strategic design (push, pull, profile and combinations of) needed. From Level 3 (ICIM): have a broad awareness of the international setting as well as key aspects of intercultural communication. From this you should have an automatic sensor to pick up how international relations and international business really works. Key themes to be absorbed are: globalisation v nationalism/parochialism; standardisation v diversification; protectionism v free trade and key aspects of cultural/religious, politico-economic ideologies that drive the undercurrents of key international decisions. This would lead you to develop your understanding of International marketing planning and tools/ tips/models (semester 2) to put together well thought through strategic proposals for a live client. From Level 3 (PRSM): develop your understanding of PR as a strategic tool in organisations and particularly Corporate PR, itsr managerial role and relevant theory that clarifies and justifies these. Be able to deconstruct and utilise thoroughly (at the academic level especially) PR planning and evaluation tools and practise to devise PR campaign plans, usually with a live client brief. Use analytical skills to evaluate PR campaign case studies and judge how and where can these be lessons learnt or aspects could have been done differently. Appreciate to a deeper level the importance of moral dilemmas/ ethics in PR work and assess how PR can be / is more professional. Review and deepen the understanding of issues/crisis management as well as the importance of the new media and information flows in society. These are tested in the exam (partly building on your previous learning on PR & Comms across the 3 years). What is the most important source of information you use on a regular bases? CIPR website Heath: PR Handbook (Level 3) Theaker: PR Handbook (Level 1-3) Kitchen: PR Principles & Practice ( Level 2-3) Hollis Directories and online sources (by subscription but also some in Library) Not one source is sufficient – see my reading list for level 1 students as a start. Check this for correct bibliographic referencing.

Survey Contributor: Kirsty Veenhuysen BA PGCE MCIM MCIPR
Senior Lecturer/ Chartered Marketer

Unit leader in 2005 for:
Introduction to PR & Media Relations; (Level 1); Marketing & PR (Level 2); Intercultural Communication & International Marketing; PR Strategy & Management (Level 3)

What areas of communication have you worked in?
Marketing (product launches, exhibitions & media relations) and Corporate communication (with focus on trade and shareholder relations). Technology and Automotive industries mainly working within B2B and dealing with manufacturers, importers/ exporters, distributors, research bodies and industry advisors etc.
My work has given me mostly international experience having worked with USA, Chinese, Japanese, German, Italian and Turkish clients, suppliers or employers. Have also worked in leisure / tourism and education training service industries. Have worked in-house and as a consultant (although less so for the latter as insufficient time recently). I have also set up and ran an entrepreneurial venture and have general business/managerial experience from this.

What are the most important skills needed to work in these industries?
To be in PR & Communications you need the following core skills:
Verbal/ Writing skills – for ‘the basics’
Analytical & Persuasive skills – for sound planning & decision-making
Organisational & Time Mgt. skills – for successful execution of plans
Specialist Industry knowledge/ skills – can be defining feature especially as you go up the ladder.

My top tip: tailor your learning to your career choice. In today’s labour market, one needs to have breadth and also become a specialist so be a ‘generalist specialist’.

What personal qualities do you think employers look for?
Confidence but not arrogance
Good presentation & reliability incl. attention to detail
Honesty & ‘Fresh’ but with constructive contributions
Enthusiasm & perseverance
Sensitive and open/ approachable/ likeable as a person
Balanced listener and talker, doer & thinker
Ability to learn from your environment/people as well as from your mistakes
Ability to work in teams, motivate them as a leader and stand it alone when needed
A moral code that can be respected

My top tip: Be a “”Realistic visionary “

What would impress you most on a C.V.?
Relevance of what you studied: e.g. mix of theory and practice; marks gained; specialism or extended piece of work done; practical ‘live’ projects conducted and examples of visuals/ plans produced (i.e. a Portfolio at interview)
Relevance of your work experience: e,g. often linked to what the employer is interested in i.e. if Fashion PR workplacements in the same field.
Any extras – to stand out further – e.g. international experience, language, charity or local society involvement, other personal initiatives such as additional training or hobbies. How active you are and effective are you in these. The breadth of these activities also show up your ability to deal with a wide variety of people.

My top tip: all CVs, to have maximum effect, should be tailored to the employer/job application. Presentation (visuals, structure, grammar) is also absolutely key – its your only platform to showcase your ability prior to interviews.

What part of work in the industry did you most enjoy, and why?
Interpersonal dealings with key accounts/clients and suppliers abroad. Friendships can develop and you enjoy the hospitality aspect as well as can feel good to share the success with colleagues/stakeholders – when things go well of course. Media relations and exhibition work can be hard work but fun due to the ‘buzz’ and face to face contact and new people you meet. Evaluation of results can be rewarding as all plans/campaigns are a surprise until they really happen. Conflict management and bargaining can also be an area that is rewarding as you build ‘bridges’ between people and negotiate deals that are mutually workable and become the start of potentially ‘big’ projects.

What is the most important practical skill we should remember from the unit you taught us? (based on my current year 2005 teaching):

From Level 1 unit: that you can run events, write news releases, conduct press conferences, do media scans, planning and evaluation. Have a sound understanding of what PR is and relevant basic theory in order to coherently explain what PR is, why it can be more than ‘spin’, the variety of PR practices and application in different industries, how PR operates in house and in consultancies, what PR jobs and skills/qualities required. Know the media environment, historical aspects that relate to the development of PR & key sub-disciplines e.g. issues/crisis management, ethics, code of practice & CSR, events management & PR planning, new media & impact of technology on PR work. Have a taster as being a consultant and show up your team ability and personal responsibility to provide consultancy services to a ‘live client’.

From level 2 unit: have a sound understanding of wide range of marketing principles from research/ PEST/SWOTs, consumer and competitor behaviour, segmenting/ targeting, strategy/ planning, case study assessments to learn from practice examples, specialist areas of e-marketing, not for profit marketing, societal/green-marketing, customer relationship marketing, service marketing, etc
Also an important chunk of the unit focuses on marketing communications & Marketing PR and a sound awareness of key features and uses of promotional mix tools is essential. Again practice of applying this for a ‘live client’ and putting together a marketing communication plan will effectively make you work out when to use or how to use advertising, PR, direct marketing, sponsorship, personal selling, sales promotions etc and to meet what objectives and strategic design (push, pull, profile and combinations of) needed.

From Level 3 (ICIM): have a broad awareness of the international setting as well as key aspects of intercultural communication. From this you should have an automatic sensor to pick up how international relations and international business really works. Key themes to be absorbed are: globalisation v nationalism/parochialism; standardisation v diversification; protectionism v free trade and key aspects of cultural/religious, politico-economic ideologies that drive the undercurrents of key international decisions. This would lead you to develop your understanding of International marketing planning and tools/ tips/models (semester 2) to put together well thought through strategic proposals for a live client.

From Level 3 (PRSM): develop your understanding of PR as a strategic tool in organisations and particularly Corporate PR, itsr managerial role and relevant theory that clarifies and justifies these. Be able to deconstruct and utilise thoroughly (at the academic level especially) PR planning and evaluation tools and practise to devise PR campaign plans, usually with a live client brief. Use analytical skills to evaluate PR campaign case studies and judge how and where can these be lessons learnt or aspects could have been done differently. Appreciate to a deeper level the importance of moral dilemmas/ ethics in PR work and assess how PR can be / is more professional. Review and deepen the understanding of issues/crisis management as well as the importance of the new media and information flows in society. These are tested in the exam (partly building on your previous learning on PR & Comms across the 3 years).

What is the most important source of information you use on a regular bases?
CIPR website
Heath: PR Handbook (Level 3)
Theaker: PR Handbook (Level 1-3)
Kitchen: PR Principles & Practice ( Level 2-3)
Hollis Directories and online sources (by subscription but also some in Library)

Not one source is sufficient – see my reading list for level 1 students as a start.
Check this for correct bibliographic referencing.