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60 Second Interview - PR Assistant
A career in public relations (PR) is not all glitz and glamour – it’s hard work but it can be incredibly rewarding too, as PR assistant Rachel Easter reveals…
Name: Rachel Easter
Company: Champions UK plc
Industry: Public relations (PR)
What is your job? PR assistant
How long have you been doing this job? Nine months
Education
University: De Montfort University
Degree Subject: Media and communications
A-levels: Media, English literature, performing arts
What was your very first job?
Working weekends in a kitchen shop.
What did you want to do when you were at school?
I wanted to be either an actress or a hairdresser
What made you want to do your current job?
I chose to do media at A-level and had an excellent teacher who made my lessons exciting. He also made me realise that writing can be fun, which is where my interest in PR began.
How did you get there?
I went to university to study media and communications where I took a PR module. PR is all about experience, so while studying I completed various unpaid internships at PR and journalism companies.
What is a typical day at work like?
Working in PR involves a lot of writing, so I will typically spend my day writing a press release for one of the seven clients that I manage. After I have done this, I will sell it in to a journalist and try to get it featured in a publication. In PR, the bigger the publication the better!
What’s the best thing about your job?
Every day is different.
What is the most challenging thing about your job?
Meeting tight deadlines.
What advice do you have for people who want to do what you do?
Don’t give up! Finding work experience can be difficult and PR is a tough industry to get into.
What things do you wish you’d known before starting your career?
PR isn’t always glamorous and it can involve long days with a lot of hard work!
Connect with Rachel on Twitter at: @racheleaster1
Find out more about careers in public relations (PR), including how to get started, in the Success at School career zones.
