Is PR a profession?

And more importantly, do we want it to be.

Today as part of our PPE module, we took part in a lecture about Public Relations as a profession. As a student, I’d never really thought about it before. It’s a career yes, but not a profession, and I’d never really made that distinction before. Now I’m going to raise the question: Does it really matter?

The profession type jobs are obvious, really. Medicine. Architecture. Law. You know the score. With PR however, there is currently nothing standing in the way of someone wanting to work in PR. No qualifications are ‘needed’ (I say needed because of course the knowledge gained from doing a degree is always worthwhile in my book), and neither is membership to a professional body.

Becoming a profession would mean closing the door to those without qualifications. Through the Leeds Met guest lectures I’ve had the pleasure of learning how many practitioners came to be in their job, and not all of them took the degree route. In fact one leading consultancy owner admitted to almost getting into the business by accident. Closing the door would mean losing out on people like that. People who might not think to study PR at university, but end up being excellent when coming across it by chance.

Public Relations does not need the ‘profession’ status to keep on being professional in what it does. The CIPR has a strict code of conduct that all members must follow, including to uphold highest standards, have regard to public interest, respect the truth and not disseminate misleading information, keep confidences and declare interests. Should all practitioners agree to; and practice, these rules, then the industry is doing its bit for society.

Of course, the other side to this is that not all practitioners are members of the CIPR. Infact there is estimated to be around 48,000 people working in PR, whilst only around 9000 members of the CIPR. This raises the question of how many practitioners follow this code, and who is enforcing it.

There is always going to be people who do not act ethically whilst doing their job (for example there has been many cases of people of different professions being ‘struck off’), and for me PR becoming a profession won’t change that. The Public Relations industry is an exciting place to be right now, with many different qualifications becoming available to those who want it. I sincerely hope the industry keep progressing to gain and accepted and trusted place in society.

Interview with Victoria Tomlinson

Upon first meeting Victoria Tomlinson, founder of PR consultancy Northern Lights, you can tell she’s a fierce business woman.  However through the tough-love exterior, I also sense that she’s extremely loyal, and that those deserving of her respect will be looked after well.  When Victoria agreed to answer several questions via email, I was excited to see what I would discover.

It takes a lot of guts to even think about starting a business from scratch, so what inspired Victoria to take that leap? ‘I had wanted my own business for a number of years.’ Still, wanting and doing are two very different things. She cites two key reasons for taking the leap, ‘the merger of my firm to become Ernst & Young; and my own merger!  I married and moved north and decided this was the moment to set up a business.’ Her philosophy? ‘To create the business that I would want to employ.  Very business-focused and fantastic service’

From Victoria attitude is would seem like this was something she had strived for all her working life, but no, it would seem she stumbled upon the PR industry quite by chance. ‘I was asked to join a charitable committee on a voluntary basis.  My job was in international sales and when I was away travelling, they gave me PR to lead for the charity – thinking sales was PR!’ As with everything it would seem Victoria does, she quickly  threw herself into the role, asking for help learning about the industry from friends working in PR and the media,’ I would cook supper as a thank you in return!’

Never planning to get into PR, Victoria’s education took a different route’ I have an HND in business studies.’ It goes without doubt, however, that these skills helped her to get where she is today. ‘It is my business background that has proved the most important in my PR career and I’ve learned my PR skills in a whole variety of ways.’

Having such a varied career, from charity work, to working in a consultancy, to setting up her own business, Victoria must have many successes to brag about, but when asked about the highlight of her career, she simply says ‘says ‘the most satisfying is having very long term relationships and adding value to  businesses, and achieving tangible results for clients.’

From listening to Victoria talk about her career to date, it’s clear how she has come so far. She has a certain charm that makes you want to listen intently and take on board her advice. She has the knowledge, experience and mind set to be a real inspiration to people wanting to break into the PR world,  but what qualities does she believe are most important for a successful career? ‘Passion above all, whatever you are in.  A constant desire to learn and improve.’

Finally, with so many graduates fighting over an incredibly small number of jobs, it’s safe to say everyone will be wondering what she deems her best piece of advice. Putting it quite simply, she replies ‘stand out.’

Why I chose PR

PR. Public Relations. I’m not going to lie, when I decided to study PR at University I didn’t really have a good understanding of what it actually is, and what it entails, and through describing my course to my nearest and dearest, I discovered that not a lot of people actually do.

‘Advertising,’ is the answer I got from my boyfriend. ‘Dealing with the public,’ from my mum. ‘Something to do with the media’ from my best friend. PR includes aspects of all these things, so on a certain level all of these are right, but then at the same time they’re so wrong. Entrepeneur.com told me that the definition of PR is ‘Using the news or business press to carry positive stories about your company or your products; cultivating a good relationship with local press representatives.’

I think PR means something different to everybody. But what does it mean to me? It’s now the 17^th December, I’ve just finished my lectures and seminars for my first semester, and I finally feel ready to answer that question. For me, PR is a way to share with others what I feel passionate about. I absolutely love the feeling you get when you discover something amazing, and want to share it with the world. Well, to me, that is where PR steps in.

Of course for some people it is all about gaining media coverage. Protecting your reputation. Turning negatives around to create something positive. But for me it’s more than that. It’s a way to be creative with how you present your company or product.  A way to show exactly what your company is all about. For me, the way a brand communicates with its consumers reveals a lot about it. I, for one, am much more likely to give my custom to companies who look like they care about us. Who make an effort to communicate with us, and do it in a creative and fun way that’s likely to grab my attention and remember them. After all, where would businesses be without their loyal consumers?

Everywhere you look there’s companies claiming they’re the best, that their products/services will change your life, but how can we differentiate between the ones which are worthwhile, and the ones that are happy to just keep taking money, but not really caring about its customers?

I want to work in PR to help the brands that deserve the publicity they get. The brands who add little touches that aren’t necessarily needed, and make an effort in every part of their business, from customer service to their online persona. The area I would love to work in more than anything is fashion and/or beauty. I know it will be difficult and competitive, but when I’m working with and helping to promote brands which I truly believe in, I know it will be all worthwhile.

New PR blog

This is just a quick introductory post about who I am and what I do. My name's Danielle Stott, and I'm currently in my first year at Leeds Met studying Public Relations.

I have an interest in all things related to beauty and fashion, and eventually that is the area I would love to work in! I'm aware that this is extremely competitive, but I'm not one to let that put me off! I currently write a fashion/beauty/lifestyle blog dancing through the fire which I post on regularly, so have a look at that if your interested!

This blog is going to focus on PR, including stuff I do at Uni, work I complete (for example for my portfolio), and my take on different things going on in the PR world.

I am currently looking for work experience in any area, so if you want to know more about me don't hesitate to get in touch!

email: daniellestott@hotmail.co.uk