PR and Communication



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Evidence of skills Skills employers want... Skills employers want... It is important to know what skills employers will want from us… and so what skills we need evidence of on our C.V.’s. Nik Mahon, Senior Lecturer on BA (Hons) Advertising (and tutor of Level Two PR and communications Creative Advertising Unit) has worked in PR and Advertising and has been a lecturer for many years on both our course and advertising. He believes that many PR graduates, going into adverting, are likely to choose to be Account Handlers or Account Planners. Through research for his PHD he has contacted many advertising agencies who have given ratings for skills needed for these strategic job roles. ....Rated most highly by the agencies were interpersonal, teamworking and communication skills for the role of account handler, in which presentations and dealing with clients are main functions of the job. ...These are skills that will be easy to extract from PR and Communication course. There is a heavy emphasis on group work and the course has covered all aspects of communications i.e. advertising, media relations, visual communications etc. ...Through course units we have learnt to; communicate through presentations, both individual and team; write different types of reports, press releases, reflective logs, assignments, dissertation etc. ...To be an account planner research skills [in marketing and advertising] and strategic thinking were joint first in their importance. Two of our units began with the word ‘research’ and of course dissertation involves in-depth primary research! ...Strategic thinking has been a main aspect of two third year units; Strategic Management and PR Strategy and Management but was also needed to for other units; in ‘Creative Advertising’, PR students are marked on their “ability to rationalise ideas rather than on creative skills” Nik Mahon Below are some of the qualities you could be asked to prove in order to get certain communication jobs…. Information extracted from job advertisments on The Chartered Institute of Public relations www.ipr.org.uk “The successful candidate will be a graduate in either PR or Marketing and will ideally have some PR experience. You will have an interest in PR, be energetic, hard working and eager to learn and you will enjoy working as part of a team.” Request for junior account executive, Bristol “ The ideal candidate will possess a Degree and ideally a postgraduate qualification in Media or Communications studies, or similar.” Request for Trainee Junior Account Manager, Max PR “ If you are a bright thinker with energy and enthusiasm we would love to hear from you.” From Max PR website www.maxpr.biz/careers “Are you a talented PR professional with a passion for youth culture and a flair for developing quirky stunts and campaigns that can drive interest? If so, we want to hear from you….who’s lacking the buzz and creativity in your current role, then please send your CV” Renowned International PR Consultancy “1-2 years experience of PR is desirable; excellent written skills are essential.” Press officer for Jeremy Hunt, MP “ The ideal candidate will have worked in an agency for four years or more and demonstrated excellent account management skills and the ability to meet diverse client needs under pressure. He/she will know how to work efficiently and flexibly as part of a team in a busy environment…. A graduate, you will preferably possess a relevant marketing or PR qualification. Freshwater is a corporate member of the CIPR and all our team members have CIPR membership in an appropriate category.” Senior Account Manager, Freshwater PR Network www.freshwater-uk.com “To be considered you must have 12-18 months’ B2B agency experience, be well organised, have strong writing skills and the ability to pick things up quickly. Proven skills in media relations and press release writing are essential as well the ability to build strong and long lasting relationships.” PR Account Executive – B2B Integrated Agency “ Must be an organised, hardworking and confident self-starter with the ability to co-ordinate lots of different projects, think creatively, work to tight deadlines and agree/manage budgets.” Marketing Communications Executive

Skills employers want...

It is important to know what skills employers will want from us… and so what skills we need evidence of on our C.V.’s.

Nik Mahon, Senior Lecturer on BA (Hons) Advertising (and tutor of Level Two PR and communications Creative Advertising Unit) has worked in PR and Advertising and has been a lecturer for many years on both our course and advertising. He believes that many PR graduates, going into adverting, are likely to choose to be Account Handlers or Account Planners. Through research for his PHD he has contacted many advertising agencies who have given ratings for skills needed for these strategic job roles.

....Rated most highly by the agencies were interpersonal, teamworking and communication skills for the role of account handler, in which presentations and dealing with clients are main functions of the job.

...These are skills that will be easy to extract from PR and Communication course. There is a heavy emphasis on group work and the course has covered all aspects of communications i.e. advertising, media relations, visual communications etc.

...Through course units we have learnt to; communicate through presentations, both individual and team; write different types of reports, press releases, reflective logs, assignments, dissertation etc.

...To be an account planner research skills [in marketing and advertising] and strategic thinking were joint first in their importance.

Two of our units began with the word ‘research’ and of course dissertation involves in-depth primary research!

...Strategic thinking has been a main aspect of two third year units; Strategic Management and PR Strategy and Management but was also needed to for other units; in ‘Creative Advertising’, PR students are marked on their “ability to rationalise ideas rather than on creative skills” Nik Mahon

Below are some of the qualities you could be asked to prove in order to get certain communication jobs….
Information extracted from job advertisments on The Chartered Institute of Public relations www.ipr.org.uk

“The successful candidate will be a graduate in either PR or Marketing and will ideally have some PR experience. You will have an interest in PR, be energetic, hard working and eager to learn and you will enjoy working as part of a team.”
Request for junior account executive, Bristol

“ The ideal candidate will possess a Degree and ideally a postgraduate qualification in Media or Communications studies, or similar.”
Request for Trainee Junior Account Manager, Max PR
“ If you are a bright thinker with energy and enthusiasm we would love to hear from you.” From Max PR website www.maxpr.biz/careers

“Are you a talented PR professional with a passion for youth culture and a flair for developing quirky stunts and campaigns that can drive interest? If so, we want to hear from you….who’s lacking the buzz and creativity in your current role, then please send your CV”

Renowned International PR Consultancy

“1-2 years experience of PR is desirable; excellent written skills are essential.”
Press officer for Jeremy Hunt, MP

“ The ideal candidate will have worked in an agency for four years or more and demonstrated excellent account management skills and the ability to meet diverse client needs under pressure. He/she will know how to work efficiently and flexibly as part of a team in a busy environment…. A graduate, you will preferably possess a relevant marketing or PR qualification. Freshwater is a corporate member of the CIPR and all our team members have CIPR membership in an appropriate category.”
Senior Account Manager, Freshwater PR Network www.freshwater-uk.com

“To be considered you must have 12-18 months’ B2B agency experience, be well organised, have strong writing skills and the ability to pick things up quickly. Proven skills in media relations and press release writing are essential as well the ability to build strong and long lasting relationships.”
PR Account Executive – B2B Integrated Agency

“ Must be an organised, hardworking and confident self-starter with the ability to co-ordinate lots of different projects, think creatively, work to tight deadlines and agree/manage budgets.”
Marketing Communications Executive