Tips for getting a job in public relations - 10 Yetis Insight

I guess this may be better described as "what kind of shizzle impresses me" when it comes to interviewing and appointing new members of staff to our agency. That kind of title would not work very well for Google though so I have had to write something far more dull sounding. Anyway, in the twelve years since Jilly and I set up the agency we have employed just about every character type you could think of. From absolute worldies through to absolute psychos (my fave being someone who described me as a "fat balding c*nt" and I am in no way balding - rude!).

So, here is my guide to getting a foot in the door of agency life and how to impress...

Make your application noticeable

Standing out is important. CVs and cover letters are dull but necessary, so it is important you try and get them over in a way that makes you stand out. Here are a few of my favourite applications that I have received from people wanting to get a job here. 1. A guy called Paul sent me a foam plane that needed to be put together and when I did it had a QR code on the side. The QR code took me to his CV and a personalised cover letter. Loved it, got him in for an interview, he did a three month internship and then went to London to work for an agency (if memory services me correct). 2. Our social media executive, Helen, who has now been here for 5 years started out by sending me a USB stick in the post. on it was a video of her hiding her CV outside of our office. LOVED THIS. Got her in for an interview, the rest is, as they say, history.

Put some groundwork in - a bit of social stalking

Quite a few public relations students have done this over the years and it works well. They get to know me on social media by tweeting me, or retweeting some of the content I fire out and often just chat to me. The next time I put something out on social media about looking for a new recruit or about our (paid) internship programme, I am far more likely to invite the people I kinda know via social media in for interviews. Don't go crazy with this though...

If you really want to work somewhere, never give up

One of the people who inspired this post is coming in for an interview this afternoon. This person has kept in touch, on and off, for around two and half years. Just dropping me a note every now and again asking if we had any jobs they could apply for and keeping me up to speed with what courses they have been doing to make them more suited to a role here. They have made it clear that they like the company ethos and what we do, and want to get involved. If you really like the look of a company or agency then keep in touch, keep applying and don't be put off. I admire people for their dedication!

Get some relevant experience wherever you can

I am one of those people who like to give people a chance. Some of our best ever employees have come from this ethos. Also, some of our worst employees have come via me being a bit soft. This is probably why Jilly now insists that Shannon does the interviews and I don't get involved... I am a sucker for a sob story. I digress, one thing I always look out for on a CV is someone who has at least tried to get some work experience or an internship under their belt. This shows me that they are committed and dedicated, and also means they have their eyes wide open about the industry before they come to us.

What impresses me during an interview

I hate interviews, they are such a crap way to try and get a good insight into a person... this tells me I am doing them wrong! That being said, I always look for the following traits during an interview. 1. Assertive personality. Public Relations and Social Media careers need people to be assertive and not afraid of pushing on. Don't misunderstand this for being overly bolshy and chopsing off. A good example is an applicant who ended the interview by asking, "Is there any reason why you would not employ me?". This totally threw me. I hired them. They turned out to be less than ideal. Nice line though. 2. Good creativity. No need to explain this one. 3. Inner belief. We need people who have confidence in their own ideas. We have probably two or three creative idea meetings per week. We need people to come ready prepared and very much a believer in their own ideas.

You get an internship or a work experience slot - what do public relations agency bosses want to see?

This is easy, the number one trait that bosses of agencies look for is positivity. Agency life has high highs and low lows. A university study recently said that the role of Public Relations Executive was the second most stressful job in the world*. Many in the industry scoffed at this but they were typically the people who were more senior in agency life and as such don't have the same level of stress. You ask any agency public relations executive who has got no coverage for their client by Friday afternoon how stressed they are and I guarantee they will be on the brink. I should point out, I am not saying this is right, I am just making a point. So, yeah, positivity is key.

In addition to positivity there are a few other ways you can try and turn the internship into a full-time role. Keep pushing for more work. Smash the work that people give you and demand more. We all love to see this and you will quickly get the love of the wider team by picking up some of their workload. Another tip is to send over some ideas for a client or a campaign that no one has asked you for, just to try and help out. A little note, "I was thinking about X campaign last night and had these ideas, I don't know what you think but thought I would send them over" is a lovely email for any account manager or boss to receive. It shows you care. Finally, don't duck your share of hot drinks or water runs. People love the givers of drinks!

TLDR: To get a job in PR or social media you should try and make your application stand out, be assertive, be positive

*I paraphrased - go Google it.

btw, all the gifs are from Giphy.com