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| the word |
| the latest PR and communications career news |
Since we launched this newsletter last June, we've seen enormous change - not just increasing the consultancy team here at The Works. Public sector jobs that were seen as 'safe and secure' a year ago by private sector counterparts are now in jeopardy, whilst journalists who had always considered Public Relations the 'evil twin' are now seeking comms positions in droves.
The PR and comms market has also fared better than other sectors in shrugging off the worst of the recession, with momentum steadily building since January. Confidence has returned and with it a flood of CVs.
In this, our anniversary edition, you'll discover where (and how) new in-house roles are being created, which sectors have finally emerged from a collective hiring coma and why the transition from journalist to PR isn't necessarily a smooth one. We also reveal what PRs are most likely to do when they clock off (and no, it's not gossip).
What a difference a year makes, eh? Welcome, once again, to The Word.
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| the news |
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| Journalists
want out |
Against a backdrop of falling print sales and sweeping redundancies, it will come as no suprise that the number of journalists wanting to switch to PR careers has soared. Since the start of the year, we're receiving more than double the usual amount of CVs from disgruntled broadsheet and broadcast staff eager to change channels.
What may surprise you, however, is that the vast majority aren't those who have already been made redundant but are those who are currently still employed according to Sarah Leembruggen, The Works' Managing Partner. "It seems that many journalists are looking for a change in direction, not just because of the climate but because they've either hit a ceiling in their career path - or salary," she says.
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Despite the number of recent high-profile career swaps from journalism to PR, such as the former Sunday Times' business editor, John Waples becoming MD of leading PR firm FD as just one example, the transition from journalist to PR isn't always a smooth one.
"Journalists who think they can move seamlessly into PR can be shocked by the reality," advises Sarah. "Whilst writing skills, media understanding and contacts are obvious parallels between the professions, most journalists underestimate the scope of public relations roles." Sarah cites client management and long-term strategic planning as some of the stumbling blocks. "For journalists to make the transition into PR successfully and compete with PR professionals, they will find it beneficial to invest time researching what the role entails and talking to people who have made the move to ensure it's right for them," she suggests.
Despite the huge rise in the number of CVs being submitted from hacked-off hacks, this is currently not the case...
Restructuring, not redundancy
Redundancy? So last year! In the world of consumer PR at least, there's a new buzzword on the block: restructuring. OK, so it's hardly a new word or indeed concept, but what's different this time around is that 'restructure' isn't necessarily a more palatable euphamism for redundancy.
Lynne Wilkins, The Works' Managing Partner, says, "We're hearing of lots of restructures going on within in-house communications teams, especially in telecoms, retail and consumer brands. In contrast with what was happening a year or eighteen months ago, companies aren't necessarily letting go of staff but are consolidating existing teams and promoting staff to manage more of the business - sometimes with pay rises as an added incentive. Things are changing and new roles are being created."
Property PR on the up
It was one of the first sectors to feel the pain at the start of the recession but it seems that commercial property is back in business! From 'Location, Location, Location' to 'Vocation, Vocation, Vocation' as Property PR Manager - level roles, the first to be made redundant in 2008, are being sought once again. Kirsty and Phil will be thrilled!
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| the rising star |
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Adam Barber is a man on a mission - and not only to secure a black leather chair (that swivels) and a fluffy white cat. As MD of 'straight-talking, streetwise' Chalk (check out their website intro, it's a goodie) he wants to challenge the perception that 'big' equals 'better' in terms of company size and believes that the best communicators aren't necessarily those who come from a traditional PR background. Good news for job-hunting journos, perhaps? Here's his take on the world of PR: where it has come from and where it's going.
Name:
Adam Barber
Position: Manging Director
Company:
Chalk(http://www.hellochalk.com)
Can you summarise your career path to date?
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Three years at Band & Brown (prior to its sale to Canadian media group Cossette), two years at Financial Dynamics (prior to its sale to FIT Consulting) and coming up to three years at Unity Marketing Group (still independent!), where I've been responsible for setting up its corporate communications practice - Chalk.
Describe your role:
I'm responsible for Chalk, the corporate communications arm of Unity Marketing Group. Our sweet spot is in providing straight talking, no nonsense communications advice to businesses undergoing substantial development, investment and growth.
Sometimes this takes the form of pure play media relations, at other times it involves providing smart, commercially focused thinking to a senior team. In this role, I'm responsible for continuing to develop the offering, build the team and bring onboard new clients, projects and briefs.
What’s been
your career highlight to date?
Taking Chalk from an idea into a fully-fledged commercial offering - complete with staff, consultants and fee paying clients! It remains a real learning curve(!) but there is nothing better than watching a business grow from a laptop and a sketched out concept, into something that - nearly three years later - stands on its own two feet and consistently holds its own in an extremely competitive market.
And greatest challenge?
It's not a sexy answer(!) but the biggest challenge is inevitably focused around striking the right balance between educating clients and providing them with the most appropriate and timely advice.
The other big challenge is moving clients on from a cultural obsession with company size. I believe that some of the very best communications consultancies currently operating in the UK and in North America are not always the ones with the biggest offices and the highest staff head count.
And your ambition?
Right now, I've got a bit of an (unhealthy) obsession with the North American market - and in particular, Manhattan. The place is just a hot bed of entrepreneurial thinking and there's a whole bunch of really bright people that are leaving the financial services sector armed with a fist full of dollars and a gem of an idea.
Some time soon they're going to need some advice and I'd love to be in a position to help...
Failing that? I'd settle for a black leather chair (that swivels) and a white fluffy cat.
What advice can you offer to other comms professionals who want to get ahead in the current climate?
PR has become an increasingly commoditised market over the past few years, with many agencies forced to compete on the price tag as opposed to the strength of their initial offering. However, as tempting as it may be to re-tweak the financials, it's no long-term strategy. Instead, focus on the strategic benefits that consultancy offers, moving the discussion beyond coverage generation and other short term tangible outputs and towards the impact that your activity makes to their company valuation and/or bottom line.
How do you feel about what you have achieved so far in your career?
I feel fortunate to be working in an industry
that I love, during a particularly interesting
time in its evolution and growth. So called
"PR" has come a long in the past
ten years and there are some really interesting
individuals working in the sector at present.
That said, I do think that some of the most interesting ones to watch, are not those currently based in pure play media relations and are entering the industry from a number of different walks of life. In my experience, the best communicators are those with the broadest possible background and the more real world experience they’ve had, the better.
What recent current affairs issue are you most interested in, and why?
Always a tricky one as to be frank, there's always a fair bit to choose from! The ongoing BP debacle is an interesting one - from the way in which it's handling the crisis, to its impact on the share price and its anticipated effect on the renewable energy sector further down the line.
The other interesting debate that has yet to really get airtime is the future role of public relations within the UK public sector. How do you differentiate between effective and responsible communications to the public and the supposed spin? What with Cameron's previous role as communications director at Carlton, I can't help but think that there's a lot more media mileage to be had from the merits of governmental spending on public relations et al.
What challenges are you facing in your current position?
One of my biggest challenges right now is making sure that we strike the right balance between pure play PR and strategic communications consultancy. Ultimately one is never really any good without the other.
Do you
have an unusual, impressive or
inspirational career path? Are
you able to offer sage career
advice to other communications
professionals? If so, we'd love
to hear from you! To nominate
a colleague or be featured as
the next 'rising star' yourself,
contact us at: sarah@the-works.co.uk
or tel. 020 7559 6690. Alternatively,
click on our website at: www.the-works.co.uk
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| the rest |
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What do PR professionals do when they clock off?
Until a couple of weeks ago, we thought
that fitting in an hour or so at the
gym at the end of a busy day was a
virtuous way to spend our spare time.
We considered it a hobby of sorts,
one which went hand in sticky hand
with our other hobby, chocolate. But
James Hogan, former Brunswick and
now College Hill Partner, has taken
'the hobby' to a completely new level,
not only turning his passion for art
into a critically acclaimed book,
'The Art Upstart,' but showcasing
his first 28 pictures at an exhibition
earlier this month. (Check out our
blog at www.the-works.co.uk/blog/news/words-and-pictures
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Impressed (and rather humbled) we wondered how other PRs and communicators spent their spare time. Of the almost 150 people we surveyed, evenly split between in-house and agency staff across all market sectors, the top ten most popular hobbies were as follows:
- Film / cinema (44.1%)
- Reading (41.3%)
- Food and wine (39.2%)
- Cooking (35.7%)
- Gym / keep fit (35%)
- Restaurants / eating out (35%)
- Travel (31.5%)
- Socialising (30.8%)
- Family (28.7%)
- Joint tenth: Theatre and Walking (28%)
It appears that we are cinema buffs who love a good book and that we are particularly content if dining out. We enjoy conjuring up something tasty in the kitchen and, to work off the excess, we head to the gym to make sure we are in shape for our beach holiday. Then it's more drinking and eating with friends and family followed by country walks and perhaps a little theatre culture.
Music, writing, doing voluntary /charity work also featured highly.
More unusual ways to spend time included glacier climbing, elephant riding(!), flamenco dancing, palmistry and white-water rafting. Simultaneous film-watching or reading are, we believe, ill advised.
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