Graduate PR Jobs

Leading graduate employers

Helping you find a career in the pr industry

PR - Public Relations - is primarily about shaping the public perception of a brand or company through media relations and its public image. Brands and companies rely on PR to communicate their messages effectively and shape the consumers' relationship with that brand.

The scope of work within PR is quite broad, which creates an interesting and varied working environment. PR teams take control of crisis responses, content strategies and social media communications. Alongside this, you could be working on campaigns and covering events.

Jobs in PR tend to be incredibly fast-paced and the roles are best suited to those with a creative flair. The variety of work also means that no two days are the same, which makes it a particularly attractive career choice for those who don't want a strict routine in their working day.

Working in PR can often mean long hours, or working at the weekends, particularly throughout campaigns or the launch of a new product. However, there are great feelings of satisfaction when you pull off a stellar campaign or see positive responses to your work.

PR work can broadly be split between agency or in-house. If you work in-house, your sole concern will be the company that you work for, whereas in a PR agency you will have multiple different clients that you'll be working with at once.

In an agency, the work is highly varied and you will often be juggling multiple clients at once and working on lots of different projects. If you believe variety is the spice of life, you'll enjoy a career in PR.

N Written by Navdeep

People also searched for

Find out more

FAQs
Jobs by industry

FAQs

Skills & interests required for a career in PR

Most graduates who go on to work in PR have an academic background in humanities, media or business. The skills that you learn on these courses, particularly through writing, will help you in this industry.

PR work is most suited to people with creative approaches, but for strategy development, campaign analysis and monitoring the press, which tend to be part of the workload, you'll need a logical approach.

The PR industry can move very quickly and you will need to stay up to date with trends and technologies so that your communications are as effective as they can be. You must be highly organised to work in PR and be comfortable juggling multiple tasks simultaneously. You'll also need to have good communication and relationship-building skills, as a lot of the work will involve maintaining positive relationships with other PR workers and the press.

Graduate schemes & other typical career progression routes in PR

You will typically begin as an assistant, working up to executive and then a manager. However, the skills you develop in PR are very transferable and many go on to work in marketing, advertising and business management.

If you work in an agency the career progression route will be slightly different. On entry you will usually be in a supporting role to an account manager as you learn the ropes. As you progress you will become an account manager yourself and take responsibility for the PR work of your client. Eventually, you will take on larger and more important clients and go into a managerial position within the agency.

Most career progression in PR is based on merit and experience, so it's important to try to make an impact and take on responsibilities where you can, even as an entry-level graduate!

Tips for getting into the field

Practice your writing. All PR roles will require you to do some kind of writing and it's important that your grammar is accurate and that you can write convincingly!
Take any opportunities to work on local or university campaigns to give you an idea of what the behind-the-scenes process is like. This will benefit you when you enter the workplace.
Source some work experience and make connections within the industry. Many PR agencies will offer internships or work experience programmes which can give you a flavour for the work that PR entails.

How much can graduates earn in PR?

In managerial positions it's possible to earn a high wage in public relations - the head of PR in large multinational companies can earn in excess of £70,000. As a graduate starting in this field, here are some of the salaries that you can expect for typical entry-level roles:

Junior PR account executive: - £18,000-£25,000 Public relations assistant: £14,572 - £22,647 PR officer: £18,577 - £33,625 Public relations and marketing coordinator: £14,667 - £28,313

After you have some experience and can take on a managerial position, the pay can be anywhere between £24,297- £52,426

What qualifications do I need for a career in PR?

There are no set formal qualifications to work in PR, but typically graduates who go into PR have a background in humanities, business or media. If your degree was not essay-based then you may be expected to demonstrate your writing abilities in another way.

Graduates can take an accredited Professional PR Certificate from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. This is not necessary, but it may help you progress more quickly in your career.