PR Studies

How to get on in PR (and how not to impress)

Here's another good debate, especially in tough times. How best to get your PR career started?

Tom Watson (a practitioner turned academic) believes employers should rate those with PR degrees ahead of those with non-vocational qualifications:

"Too often, industry leaders pay lip service to PR education but choose not to recruit students who are job-ready in favour of those from non-vocational universities."

He makes a strong case, but I'm not sure which instruments can be invoked in a free market economy to privilege one set of graduates over another. I also expect that his calls for greater industry support for education have come at a bad time.

Meanwhile, Maggie Kerr-Southin, a self-proclaimed 'PR goddess from Canada's west coast' lists the qualities she seeks in new recruits. It's a good list - and she and Watson at least agree on the importance of an education.

"Being good with people or enjoying events isn’t enough."

Well said.

Comments

How to get on in PR (and how not to impress)

Here's another good debate, especially in tough times. How best to get your PR career started?

Tom Watson (a practitioner turned academic) believes employers should rate those with PR degrees ahead of those with non-vocational qualifications:

"Too often, industry leaders pay lip service to PR education but choose not to recruit students who are job-ready in favour of those from non-vocational universities."

He makes a strong case, but I'm not sure which instruments can be invoked in a free market economy to privilege one set of graduates over another. I also expect that his calls for greater industry support for education have come at a bad time.

Meanwhile, Maggie Kerr-Southin, a self-proclaimed 'PR goddess from Canada's west coast' lists the qualities she seeks in new recruits. It's a good list - and she and Watson at least agree on the importance of an education.

"Being good with people or enjoying events isn’t enough."

Well said.