Posted in Candidates, career advice, Financial PR

It is by no means a new trend, yet one that continues within the financial and corporate communications sector.  At The Works, we have met with many journalists looking to hop that fence, so with help from a kind contributor Joe Kelly, ex-national business journalist and Director of Comms and Marketing at BT, here’s our advice on getting a foot in the PR door and how to face the challenge of a career change.

Making friends and influencing while on the other side

One of the most valued traits of a communications advisor is the ability to build trust, rapport and credibility with senior and highly influential individuals. The more you have been able to demonstrate that you can build relationships, regardless of how tight your deadline, the better. To put it frankly, anyone you have rubbed up the wrong way as a journalist is unlikely to give you a job (and trust me, like recruiters, communications professionals never forget!)

Understanding the learning curve

The first thing to get your head around is not only what you have to offer, but what you don’t!  Woe betides the career changer who uses an interview as their opportunity to tell a potential employer how much better they could do their job because of his valuable insight from the other side!

Joe Kelly, ex-national business journalist and Director of Comms and Marketing at BT advises: “The biggest learning was the realisation that as a communications guy, people looked to me for answers while, as a reporter, I was used to coming up with questions”.

He continues: “Other skills I needed to develop included managing a large team (journalism is a more solitary pursuit) and a comparatively large budget.  I also had to manage a PR agency”.

How to sell what you have to offer

While demonstrating modesty in an interview situation is undoubtedly endearing (and can often flatter the interviewer) it is obviously important to highlight what you have to bring to the table. Joe sums up the key transferable skills as:

• Understanding complex issues and expressing them in simple terms
• Deciding quickly what’s truly important among a vast array of other people’s priorities
• Having the confidence to ask for clarification when you don’t understand something
• Being comfortable with deadlines and rapidly changing situations
• Being naturally curious and comfortable around senior people up to and including CEOs and chairmen of large multi-national corporations

Understanding what lies ahead

Another way to really swing things in your favour at interview stage is to demonstrate that while you have never done the job before you have a good comprehension of what is involved. Joe’s advice is to “be prepared to broaden your working horizons: working in a communications department is about managing much more than the story – it’s also about strategy, planning and implementation.   You need to be prepared to work closely with other communications disciplines such as investor relations, public affairs, marketing and the events team, as well as other functions such as HR, finance, operations and legal.  In many cases, they will look to you to make decisions and to lead on projects beyond your immediate responsibilities” .This also very much applies to life in consultancy where there is an almost constant need for flexibility.  Joe adds “because other people depend on you, you need to be better organised than you can afford to be as a journalist.  And yes, you do get better paid in communications, but you do work harder and longer hours”.

Living the dream

So after all your efforts not only to take the career change plunge, but get through what can often be a gruelling recruitment process, it is all definitely worth it, according to many success stories I have seen over the years.  The single biggest plus is often cited as “the opportunity to be in the privileged position to witness directly (and very closely) how very large organisations operate, how people perform and behave in different situations and to see and get involved in the commercial elements of managing a business”.

Joe has also been very pleasantly surprised at just how seriously senior business leaders take the media and how much time they spend anticipating, reading and discussing what the papers – especially the nationals – write about them.

Change for the better

Life will be different; you will be different but embrace it. For Joe, the most obvious change has been that he has a much better appreciation for the complexities involved in running a business and managing stakeholder groups with conflicting needs. As a reporter, he was taught to not have an opinion.  “As a communications guy, you’re expected to have an opinion.  Your opinion will be sought on all manner of issues and a reporter’s instinct helps. I’ve learned with experience to have, and to be comfortable expressing, an opinion”.

For more advice from the team at The Works, take a look at our blogs

Posted in Candidates, career advice, Clients, Communications

Good communicators are magnetically attracted to PR; people who often build rapport naturally, on an unconscious level. But some analysis of how rapport happens could help to speed up the process allowing you to use it more effectively, in a myriad of different business contexts.

Create trust: Be natural, listen actively, don’t interrupt and ask open-ended questions. That way you can build on the conversation and find common connections.  If you find you’ve drifted off and stopped listening, try to re-focus.

Use your body: Facial expression is important; Smile, nod to affirm you are listening and maintain a positive, upright posture with arms unfolded. These rapport building methods are not new, but they really work.

Do your research: If there’s a contact you feel you need to get to know, then find out about them. A little knowledge about events they’ve attended, facts about their work history or colleagues you have in common will lead to a more natural approach. Once you are introduced you will also have some conversational threads you can pick up on.

Follow up: Continue the engagement and nurture the relationship. Drop a brief e-mail to your new contact, expressing how good it was to meet.  Use LinkedIn or Twitter to create more access points. And try to add value to the relationship by thinking of small ways you could stay you on their radar.

This video lesson from Stellar Learning packs 20 ways to build rapport into 5 minutes, including 6 questions to open up a conversation. It’s well worth a look.

For more practical business advice for PR professionals see The Works blog.

Posted in Candidates, career advice, Job offers, Jobseeker Advice

So you’ve finally secured that PR role you’ve been chasing with the competition. You’ve jumped through every recruitment hoop and landed with a pay rise and a sense of elation. But stop. Before striding into the office to resign think through your reasons for leaving and how you might react to a counter-offer.

The competition for talent is hotting up as PR emerges from recession faster than many other sectors, and so it’s no surprise that counter-offers are on the increase. At the end of last year it was mainly legal communications teams that were going head-to-head for the best candidates. But with more private sector agencies winning business, counter-offers are moving across the board to include corporate PR, particularly the financial services sector. We’re even seeing bidding wars between three or four employers, all keen to secure the best hire. One agency candidate even doubled their salary whilst eventually staying with the original employer. That may be exceptional, but it’s been our candidates’ recent experience that significant pay hikes are a factor again.

It’s great for your ego to be so in demand, but proceed with caution. National surveys of employees consistently show that 50 to 80% of those who accept counter-offers leave their employer within six months, largely because of un-kept promises. Salary is often at the centre of these negotiations but as the figures rise, remember all your reasons for wanting to move on. As Sarah Leembruggen, Managing Partner at The Works commented, “Once in a blue moon a candidate decides to stay with their current employer but I can pretty much guarantee that they will be on the phone within six months, wanting to start their search again.”

Ask yourself why your company is only willing to demonstrate its appreciation of you now. Are you genuinely seen as a valued member of the team or is it a stalling tactic to avoid the short-term inconvenience of your imminent departure?

And think of the long-term consequences if you decide to stay. Would you be seen as disloyal or resented by the boss who felt backed into a corner?  Could it affect your promotion prospects or your position in the face of redundancies? After all, you did almost leave.

PR’s a small world and reputations are easily sullied, so take your time and don’t burn your bridges. You want to preserve your reputation at your current company and your prospective employer, so before accepting a new position and handing in your resignation, be sure that the new role ticks all your boxes. If you do accept the job and go to resign, prepare to anticipate your boss’s reaction to ensure you can leave on good terms.

Whatever decision you come to, when negotiating a counter-offer stay positive, act decisively and in a timely manner so everyone’s still smiling at the end of it.

For more specialist careers advice from PR’s people in the know visit our blog or follow us on twitter

Posted in business, Business advice, career advice, Corporate Communications, PR

16th February 2012

There are a few of us in the office who are keen business book readers as we love learning how to improve what we do. We found some gems of advice in these books and we thought we would pass we would pass on our knowledge. Here are our top five of the moment. Happy reading!

1. E-Myth Revisted – Michael Gerber

As a small business owner, this book is life changing. I wish I had read it years ago, I can’t recommend it enough. One of helpful things I took away from it is how I feel about the company.

2. The 4 hour Work Week – Tim Ferriss

I wouldn’t agree with everything Mr Ferriss advocates and you might have a bit of a ‘marmite’ reaction to him and his ideas but there are some gems on how to think differently and work ‘smarter’.

3. The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work – Shawn Achor

As a manager of other people, found this book very readable and useful, backed up with lots of interesting research explaining the thinking most likely to lead to success. Like most ‘self-help’ books, a lot of it is common sense, but it’s another I wish I had read years ago.

Here’s a link to his amusing and insightful TED talk

4. Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion – Noah J Goldstein

Love this book! Full of great tips and subtle ways of influence. A must read for anyone in sales. You can read it in one or two sittings and it’s packed with interesting facts.

5. 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done – Peter Bregman
A lot of this ground has been covered in other well known books like “Getting Things Done” but this is arguably easier to digest and simpler to implement, now if only I could find 18 minutes to focus on doing them!

Posted in Candidates, career advice, Clients, Consumer, Corporate Communications, Financial PR, Job offers, Jobseeker Advice, Technology PR

24th January 2012

In today’s challenging economic climate, ‘headhunting‘ (or executive search as it is also known) as a practice has never been more popular. Whilst the headhunters’ call has the capacity to flatter and unsettle in equal measure (even for the most senior and accomplished candidates) it’s in your best interests to make the most of this opportunity. The message is: if you haven’t been headhunted yet, you will be.

In almost every sector we are involved with; technology, consumer (in-house positions), corporate (in-house, again) financial PR and healthcare, headhunting is fast becoming the recruitment method of choice. (In healthcare, talented individuals are so scarce that it’s our exclusive modus operandi). It’s the most effective way of identifying and sourcing the best people for a position; it can lead to a fulfilling, long-term relationships with a recruiter who has much wider access to upcoming, unadvertised positions than could ever be realised through professional networking and; let’s face it, it can even be rather flattering.

So, when the call comes, don’t be tempted to dive under the office desk. Instead, make the most of this career-propelling opportunity and be prepared.

• Step 1:  Don’t panic!

Professional headhunters will do everything they can to make you feel comfortable and are well aware that you may be in an open office and unable to talk freely.  If a headhunter calls, they’ll request your telephone number or e-mail address so that you can talk at a more convenient, mutually agreeable time. If you are in a position to take the call, listen first, be inquisitive second. Establish why the headhunter is calling and what they want before presenting your case and requirements.

• Step 2: Be flattered

We only ever headhunt when we are looking for a candidate to fill an active or up-coming position. You will have been identified, through networking or industry word-of-mouth, as a quality, high-calibre candidate. Be flattered rather than freaked out – it’s not every day you are recognised for your talents.

• Step 3: Make the most of this opportunity

Although headhunting is becoming much more common-place than it was as little as three years ago, you may only receive a few of these calls in your entire career.  Even if you are not looking for a job now, don’t dismiss the call out of hand. Instead, try and impress the headhunter as you would a prospective interviewer. If you make a good impression, the headhunter will keep you in mind for future opportunities when you very well may want to move on. Against a backdrop of mergers, restructures and acquisitions, that time may be sooner than you think…

• Step 4: Headhunters operate at every level, across all sectors

It’s a myth that headhunting only takes place at senior levels. In healthcare, for example, the market space is so select that headhunters are retained to recruit junior positions right through to director level. However, according to Charles Cowan, our specialist healthcare consultant, whilst senior candidates will probably have been contacted by a headhunter before, and know how to handle the call to their best advantage, the same can’t be said of juniors. His advice? Anticipate the call in advance so you won’t be flustered when the opportunity presents itself.

• Step 5: Confidentiality

Just as a headhunter will treat this call as highly confidential,  they are also unlikely to divulge the name of the recruiting client in the initial stages, i.e. the first telephone call. Remember that as much as the headhunter has been tasked with identifying talent, they have also been put in a position of trust by the recruiting client.

So, you’ve had the call – what next? Meet with the head hunter face to face. It is important for anyone representing you to understand your skills set and career aspirations thoroughly. A headhunter can also be an excellent adviser and source of information, as well as someone you trust. And, as basic as it may sound, communication is key. Being open, honest and upfront helps to get the most out of a headhunter. If you are planning to move to Australia in 6 months or have no desire to work for a company they suggest, don’t be afraid to let them know!

Posted in Candidates, career advice, Clients, Communications, Consumer, Corporate Communications, Financial PR, General News, PR, Technology PR

13th December 2011

Last week, the first Government–funded, industry-wide PR apprenticeship scheme was unveiled.

With youth unemployment at its highest ever level and soaring university fees potentially stemming the flow of future talent, it’s not surprising that the move has been so well received.

It’s not just bright young things wanting to secure their first foot on a notoriously difficult-to-access career ladder who have welcomed the news, but leading figures in the PR industry.

According to a PRCA survey of almost one hundred agency bosses, 94% of agency MD’s said they wanted an apprenticeship scheme for the PR industry, whilst 92% would consider employing an apprentice. PRCA chief executive, Francis Ingham, says,” The PR industry contributes £7.5bn per year to the UK economy. It’s about time we had an apprenticeship scheme to ensure a steady stream of high caliber candidates.”

Around £1.2m has been set aside to provide on-the-job training, qualifications and work experience to 600 young non-graduates from diverse backgrounds over a three-year period, the scheme to be run by the PRCA in partnership with Pearson in Practice. The partnership will spend the next year working with PR employers and practitioners to develop a programme that will meet both the needs of ‘employer’ and ‘employee’.

Although the scheme will undoubtedly help hundreds of non-graduates in the industry, let’s not forget that, mindful of the shrinking pool of candidates that rising tuition fees will inevitably create, there are already significant numbers of forward-thinking agencies and organisations with robust apprenticeship schemes in place.

Earlier this year, Shine Communications launched an apprentice-style scheme offering school leavers an alternative route into the industry by offering a two-year in-house and on-the-job training programme. Candidates were also required to complete the CIPR Advanced Certificate in Public Relations.

Hill and Knowlton have been running an internship programme for at least the past six years, with many of those completing the scheme moving up to Junior Account Executive level and in some cases Senior Account Executives and Account Managers. Czarina Charles, Talent Acquisition Manager, says, “It’s a great way to indentify junior talent for the business in an economical and efficient way” adding that, “intern help to support the teams deliver projects and campaigns which come up at short notice.”

In healthcare, too, there are some shining examples of agencies who, as well as wanting to encourage more graduates into healthcare comms as a potential career through offering apprenticeship schemes, understand that in the current economic climate, such schemes are essential to the future of talent acquisition.

Anna Parfitt, HD Director at Virgo Health says that their provision of a 40 week work placement programme and a one week placement scheme has, “provided opportunities for team members to coach students and essential people skills,” as well giving undergraduates “invaluable hands-on experience for individuals eager to work in the industry.”

Competition for placements is understandably fierce but for those lucky enough to secure a work placement or apprenticeship scheme (either as part of their University course or as a replacement) the rewards are truly rich – for everyone.

Posted in Candidates, career advice, Clients, Jobseeker Advice

21^st November 2011

Interview questions, generally speaking, can be divided into two categories: ‘the common’ (nice) and ‘the curveball’ (not so nice).

The following questions: ‘What are your greatest strengths?’ and it’s ‘evil’ twin, ‘What are your greatest weaknesses?’ bridge both camps, but are amongst the top ten questions you’re most likely to be asked so there’s no excuse for being unprepared.

First up, the friendly one…

What are your greatest strengths? A gift of a question for those who want an opportunity to sell themselves! Concentrate on three or four proficiencies, partly to stay focused and secondly, so you don’t appear overconfident (that goes in the weakness pile). Also ensure that for any strength cited, you’ll be expected to give examples to support your claim. Our top ten examples of strengths and aptitudes are:

1. Having a positive attitude
2. Going over and above what is required
3. Being a great relationship builder
4. A supportive and encouraging manager
5. Having a determination to succeed
6. A savvy networker
7. Being able to meet tight or competing deadlines
8. Having the ability to prioritise in a demanding environment
9. Understanding the requirements of business and the media
10. Having great empathy or intuition

Now, the not so friendly one!

What are your greatest weaknesses? Clever candidates will have learned by now that, like the metaphorical cloud, behind every weakness is a silver lining. (Humbly, not arrogantly) offer up a weakness that could be perceived as a ‘strength’, perhaps adding ways in which you’d learned to overcome it.  Examples may include:

• I’m a perfectionist and demand a great amount from my team, but they have consistently delivered and say they are grateful for helping to motivate them to succeed.
• Sometimes I take on too much, but I’ve learned to delegate over recent years which has been well received by my team.

The other alternative approach to this question is citing a weakness that is experience but not ability or aptitude based. Experience can be gained in a new role; core competencies, however, will be required to secure that job!

Posted in Candidates, career advice, Charity Work, Clients, Jobseeker Advice

9^th November 2011

Senior hiring executives have been sharing their thoughts with Delyth Evans, CEO of our charity partner, ‘Dress for Success’ as to what makes a great candidate.

It seems that the received wisdom amongst those in the hiring hot seat is that it’s your attitude and enthusiasm in an interview that can transform you from a ‘maybe’ to a ‘must-hire’.

It’s a viewpoint which our own experience in PR recruitment supports. Having the mindset for success is the most important foundation for success in any job and clients who recognise this are rewarded with a better hire than those who simply focus on skill sets, experience or, even worse, more subjective reasons.

Here are some other things that we, recruiting companies and clients look for at interview (you may be surprised).

What’s Hot

• Employers and recruiters, generally speaking, don’t judge people solely on their CV, firstly because the CV may be embellished or skewed but also because two sides of A4 aren’t a true reflection of a candidates’ overall ability.

• Many employers only focus on the first half of a CV, so make sure that your personal and career history is given priority and compels the reader to want to know more.

• A candidate’s age is far less important than their attitude and outlook on life.

• Candidates who have taken a career break, most commonly taking time out to raise a family, aren’t precluded from the hiring process – far from it.  The important thing is that the candidate can relate transferable skills learned during this time to the job role in question, such as organisational skills, time-keeping and budgeting for example.

What’s Not

• Attitude may be all important, but make sure it’s the right kind. A negative attitude, even a hint of one, has only one outcome – ‘one strike and you’re out!’ regardless of skill set or experience.

• A candidate who goes to interview without knowing what the job entails or what the company does will not succeed. Do your research!

• Senior candidates who have fixed or set ideas.  Being able to demonstrate flexibility, team spirit and a desire to continue professional growth even at the highest levels will always be more appealing to clients than those who think they ‘know it all’ already.

• Senior level professionals who forget they need to ‘sell’ themselves and demonstrate their value as they’re used to their advice being taken and not questioned

• Employers rightly expect the candidate to be motivated to get that particular job. A candidate who indicates that their motivation is solely financial is not going to be successful. “I just want a job, I don’t really care what it is” will never win interviewing hearts over, either!

Posted in Candidates, career advice, Clients, Communications, Consumer, Corporate Communications, Financial PR, General News, Jobseeker Advice, PR

Posted on 26th October 2011

We are always on the lookout for great networkers to join the works but, like PR, recruitment has a mixed reputation.  We thought we would give you an insight into why we love our jobs.

1. The role is a superb mix of relationship building, using all your resources and managing expectations
2. It’s great if have an enquiring mind and enjoy finding out about people
3. From banking to consumer brands, we meet fantastic people every day and get an insight into their world
4. It’s highly satisfying – you get out what you put in – and if you are driven you can build a great business
5. We love working as a team but you also have loads of autonomy and ownership
6. Constant change – no two days are the same and it’s challenging
7. It’s great to help build businesses and support people through their careers
8. We enjoy giving advice every day on anything from salaries to interview technique
9. We thrive on the challenge of matching people to opportunities and vice versa,  so you end up being a demon interviewer and become adept at reading people
10. It’s fun too!

Posted in Candidates, career advice, Communications, Consumer, Corporate Communications, Financial PR, General News, Jobseeker Advice, PR, Technology PR

Posted on 20th October 2011

Interview traps can be hard to spot but we’d be amazed if even in the shortest of careers you hadn’t come across this ubiquitous interview hurdle: “Why do you want to leave your present employer?”

Whatever your true feelings about the company you are wanting to exit, under no circumstances should you wander in to the realms of rant, however tempting it may be.  As a professional communicator charged with upholding corporate reputations, how you regard a current employer at interview will inform your potential future employers about what you may say about them – and their clients.

Do

• Stress the positives of the company (there must have been a reason you joined them in the first place) and why they were a good company to work for
• Tell them about any training or work-related experience you’ve gained
• When addressing the reasons why you want to move on, make them skills, ambition and values related, perhaps stressing that you are looking for a new challenge and what that means to you.  Remember to relate what you are saying to the role and the company you are applying for, matching the advertised job description with the skills that you can provide.
• Take advantage of pre-interview coaching, a service that we provide to our candidates

Don’t

• Be tempted to rant about internal (and confidential) politics. The interviewer will gauge your discretion on behalf of the company / agency and its clients.
• Mention personality clashes – the interviewer may see YOU as the agent provocateur
• Use salary increases as the sole reason you want to move – this will not be viewed as sufficient motivation

It’s a rule of thumb that when it comes to being asked about present employers that, “if you can’t think of anything nice to say then don’t say it at all.”