Learning is a lifelong process
I’ve been working in public relations for 25yrs in May this year. It’s a career that I’ve loved and I still do today. PR has changed immensely since I first started out. Long gone are the days of photocopying press releases, paper filing, courier bikes and paper cuts from monthly coverage boards (more on that soon)! Public relations is a creative brand marketing discipline that has many faces and abundant opportunity. This fast-approaching anniversary got me thinking about the changes I have seen and how much I’ve learnt.
The pros and cons of living in the UK versus NZ
I came to the UK nearly thirty years ago from my native New Zealand. Initially I planned to stay for a six-month overseas experience - and I’m still here today. Why, a lot of people ask, have I stayed so long, leaving such a beautiful country behind? And NZ is a truly beautiful country, but then again so is the UK. Both countries have their pros and cons…
Working with your spouse - how to make it work
I jointly own and run a Public Relations consultancy with offices in London and Beaconsfield with my husband and business partner. I often get asked what it’s like working together. In all honesty it not that bad, as long as you both follow simple rules and honour those rules, working together can be fun and rewarding. For work relationships to succeed it’s important that certain boundaries are kept. Here’s my secret sauce…
Twenty top tips for a lower-stress PR career.
The media is ‘always on’ and social media is an intrinsic 24/7 part of our lives. As such, PR professionals often have to go the extra mile to maintain momentum and win. PR is no longer a nine-to-five occupation - it is a lifestyle career choice. By default, we work in a profession that is run by deadlines, long to-do lists and high expectations. Not to mention the energy, drive and emotional input needed to achieve cut through. This means that at times it can be stressful because client demands are high and the flow of media opportunities never ceases.
How to make the best first impression and win in your traineeship
At MANDATE, we offer a six-month fully paid PR trainee scheme which leads to a fulltime position, with an attractive salary, benefits and bonuses. Candidates who join us on this scheme work for four days per week and have one day dedicated to external training and skills development. This approach means that a candidate will develop all of the foundation skills and core competencies needed to win as a generalist PR, content and communications consultant. After the training period we encourage people to specialise in the area of PR that they enjoy and excel in the most; editorial, media relations, social media, content creation, creative services etc.
Common Sense In The Workplace: Six Easy Steps To Get It Right!
The dictionary definition of common sense is, ‘the basic level of practical knowledge and judgment that we all need to help us live in a reasonable and safe way’. Sounds simple enough, right? However, whilst we use common sense day-to-day, we often overlook the importance of it in our work lives. Sometimes we spend time focussing on the ‘bigger’ things at work that simple, basic things get overlooked and forgotten. By keeping common sense front of mind we can easily avoid those silly mistakes.
Five ways to save time + £££ sourcing PR talent
Sourcing talent can be a real challenge. The industry is extremely competitive and constantly evolving. Finding the right candidates that have the skills and knowledge that is reflective of the industry and client demands can be hard. But, there are simple things that PR agency leadership can do to help make the search for talent easier.
Five differences between working agency VS in-house
Ask any PR professional who has worked in both an agency and in-house and they will often tell you they have a definite preference. I believe, although the nuts-and-bolts of the role are essentially the same, the two are vastly different. Your favoured one will depend on your personality and what you want from your career. Each, of course, has their pros and cons but working in both has given me a more rounded experience in my career, for which I am thankful for.
Five important things my first job taught me
Like many young people growing up, I had a part-time job at the weekend. At fifteen years old this was my first ever job. I worked as a shop assistant and my role was split between working on the tills, stacking shelves and being responsible for the in-store baked goods. Every Saturday morning when I clocked in at 10.00am I had to make sure there were freshly baked baguettes ready for the lunchtime rush. Fast forward fifteen years later I am now client director in a boutique PR agency. Whilst the two roles seem wildly different, there are actually some key skills that I picked up as a young spritely shop assistant which have served me well to this day. These lessons I learned early on have made me a better manager and showed me the importance of client satisfaction.
Successfully on-boarding new team players.
Fail to plan, plan to fail. This is a mantra we often hear at We Are MANDATE. Inducting new starters is crucial to making sure they have the best possible chance of success. Preparing onboarding materials for new employees can be time-consuming and seem like another dull admin job which often ends up at the bottom of your to-do. A positive onboarding experience helps settle new people in and avoids issues in the future. Investing time to thoroughly induct your new employee makes for happier and more successful teammates. Over the years I have tried numerous formats and ways of doing inductions - these are just some tips I have picked up along the way.