Sarah Kent, managing director of Whistle PR, believes the industry offers significant opportunities to fast-track your career, as there is less reliance on getting ‘miles on the clock’. “Some of the best people I’ve worked with have gone from account executive to account director in just a couple of years,” she says.
My top tips are to be results-driven, rather than just focusing on outputs, and not to be afraid of doing your own PR and shouting about your successes when they come.
“The more your clients value you, the more value you are to your agency, so make sure you build strong client relationships. Play an active part in client meetings, agreeing with your line manager in advance a specific role such as presenting results or a new campaign idea.
“Finally, take responsibility for your own professional development. Identify your skills and experience gaps and put yourself forward for training to address them. Learn on your own time too, taking advantage of the wealth of books, podcasts and free online resources that are available.
Surround yourself with a network of positive and successful people who might be able to help your career and why not approach someone who you respect and admire to see if they are prepared to mentor you?
The important thing is to have some clear career goals and a plan of action in place to achieve them.”
Sarah Kent is MD of Whistle PR which offers a range of integrated communications services including strategic consultancy, PR, social media and internal communications. For further information email info@whistlepr.co.uk or contact us here.
