Getting a Job in PR: Be the person agencies want to hire in modern stategic comms

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Getting a Job in PR: Be the person agencies want to hire in modern stategic comms

Episodes

  1. When no one replies to your emails

    12h ago

    When no one replies to your emails

    You can spend hours polishing a CV and cover letter, only to send the application and hear nothing. The problem may not be that your application is badly written. It may be that it could have been sent to almost any employer with only the company name changed. In this episode, Richard draws together advice from agency leaders Amanda Proscia (LightSpeedPR), Ben Jacobson (InboundJunction) and Komal Lath (Tute Consult) to explore one of the biggest mistakes people make when applying for PR and communications jobs: describing themselves without showing that they understand the organisation receiving the application. You will hear why basic employer research matters, how a thoughtful question can reveal the way you think, and how one small piece of relevant proof can make your potential easier for an employer to recognise. This is not about gimmicks, clever wording or pretending to know more than you do. It is about treating your application as a real piece of communication, written for a particular audience. For more information about the podcast, the live research project and the six-week programme, visit GettingAJobInPR.com.

    10 min
  2. Stop your PR job application being rejected by AI

    Feb 23

    Stop your PR job application being rejected by AI

    People are hitting “apply” 200, 300, 500 times… then getting rejected by an AI system in minutes, sometimes in the middle of the night. No human. No feedback. Just silence. In this episode of Getting a Job in PR, I’m joined by Andrew Healy from Water And Wall (a New York agency founder) to talk about what actually cuts through now, and what agency leaders notice immediately. This is not “job hacks”. It’s the stuff that gets you seen by a real person, and the behaviours that make someone worth hiring in the first year. Practical takeaways you can use straight away: A “sniper” approach to job hunting that bypasses the AI slop, and why it works better than mass applying The simplest way to personalise a message so it doesn’t look copied, pasted, or AI-written What agencies are really hiring for when you’ve got little experience (hint: it’s not technical PR skills) The fastest way to build real-world credibility before you get hired, even without an internship If you’re trying to get your first PR / communications / strategic comms role, this episode will save you a lot of wasted effort and a fair amount of misery. GUESTAndrew Healy - Water and WallLOCATION: New York, USAWEB: waterandwall.comNEW TO PR?- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comFUTURE GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/

    27 min
  3. Stop being helpful and start proving impact if you want a PR job

    Feb 9

    Stop being helpful and start proving impact if you want a PR job

    Let's look at getting in-house PR and Strategic Comms roles. In this episode of Getting a Job in PR, Richard speaks with Edeje Onwude, Director of Groups and Communities at the International Association of Business Communicators, about what actually makes someone valuable inside an organisation in their first year. It is not about doing what you are asked, it is not about writing better press releases, it is about understanding business objectives, earning trust with senior leaders, and avoiding the trap that quietly derails a lot of early PR careers. If you are job hunting in PR, thinking about internal communications, or already in your first in-house role and wondering why it feels confusing or overwhelming, this will give you a clearer path. You will hear: Why “being the helpful comms person” can damage your career if you do not link your work to business outcomes How to approach mentors and industry leaders so they actually reply and remember you How to speak to the C suite using data, insight and action rather than opinion What in-house PR and internal communications really expect from entry-level professionals Edeje shares what she sees through IABC partnerships with the London School of Communications and what organisations actually need from new PR hires. The conversation also covers hidden job opportunities, why community matters in job hunting, and how to move from sending messages to influencing decisions. If you want to get a PR job and succeed in your first year, this episode will help you think differently about what “value” really means. GUESTEdeje Onwude - IABCLOCATION: High Wycombe, United KingdomWeb: www.iabc.comNEW TO PR?- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comFUTURE GUESTS- Check out: https://gettingajobinpr.com/get-involved/

    49 min
  4. How to think you way into a public relations job

    Feb 3

    How to think you way into a public relations job

    This episode isn’t about polishing your CV or saying the right things in interviews. It’s about how experienced people in PR quietly work out whether you’re already doing the job in your head when they decide whether to recruit you. In this conversation, Richard speaks with Ben Jacobson from InboundJunction.com about what actually stands out when someone is trying to break into PR or strategic communications. It's not confidence, not buzzwords, not enthusiasm on its own he says. What comes through instead is something harder to fake and rarely talked about: depth of thinking, where your attention goes, and how you make sense of complexity before anyone asks you to. The discussion moves through real examples, including why a cold outreach message can impress when done right, how curiosity shows up in practice, and why some junior hires gain trust quickly while others stall, even with good skills. This is for anyone trying to get into PR, or anyone already inside the industry who wants to understand how potential is really spotted. Practical takeaways • Why strong outreach isn’t about asking for a job, but showing how you think• What “curiosity” actually looks like in real PR work, beyond surface interest• How reducing friction for others quietly accelerates trust and responsibility• Why early career progress is often about attention and judgement, not tools or process If you’re trying to get hired, this episode helps you see the game more clearly. GUESTBen Jacobson, Chief Content officerLOCATION: Tel Aviv, IsraelWEB: inboundjunction.comNEW TO PR?- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comFUTURE GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/

    17 min
  5. A skill that could transform your chances of getting and keeping a job in PR?

    Jan 27

    A skill that could transform your chances of getting and keeping a job in PR?

    Most PR job hunting advice focuses on CVs and interview answers. This episode is about what actually makes you useful once you get hired.  Too many people get in the door and then get let go. So how do you survive? Richard speaks with Seth Linden from Dukas Linden PR in New York, and starts by asking what Seth would do differently if he were starting again. There are plenty of ideas in this episode, but one big theme keeps coming back.  If you understand how a business works and why a business needs marketing, not at a surface level but in a clear, model-driven way, you will have a huge head start. You will be able to communicate clearly in real rooms with real clients and real C-suite leaders. That skill makes you valuable fast, even as AI speeds up research and drafting. This is a practical listen if you are applying for PR roles, switching from journalism into PR, or trying to stand out in a crowded graduate market. Practical takeaways - Learn basic business literacy so you can talk about how money moves, not just messaging or marketing - Build your voice early through public speaking, theatre, or any environment that forces you to perform under pressure - Read outside your bubble so you can handle clients and journalists with different views - Use AI for speed, then prove value by checking accuracy and adding human judgement and creativity GUEST: Seth Linden, Dukas Linden PR LOCATION: New York, USA WEB: dlpr.com LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dukas-public-relations/ NEW TO PR? Check out the new podcast Getting A Job In PR: https://gettingajobinpr.com SUBSCRIBE Video and audio links: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/ Or search for The Public Relations Podcast in your podcast app CONNECT WITH ME LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/ Website: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/ Getting A Job In PR: https://gettingajobinpr.com FUTURE GUESTS Apply here: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/

    38 min
  6. What PR firms really notice about you in your first six months

    Jan 20

    What PR firms really notice about you in your first six months

    Most advice about getting into PR stops at the interview. But the next test is what happens when you get through the door. In this episode of Getting a Job in PR, I speak to Komal Lath from Tute Consult about what people who hire PR and comms staff want to see in the first six months.  Komal shares honest stories from her own career and from hiring and managing teams across agency and strategic comms roles.  She talks about early mistakes, learning while working in the background, why some people get backed quickly while others stall, and how value is really judged long before promotions or praise show up. This episode is for anyone starting out in PR who wants to survive the first year, avoid common missteps, and quietly build a reputation as someone worth investing in. GUESTKomal LathLOCATION: Mumbai, IndiaWeb: www.tute.co.inNEW TO PR?- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comSUBSCRIBE- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast appsCONNECT WITH ME- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/- Website - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.comFUTURE GUESTS- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/

    26 min
  7. How important enthusiasm really is in PR job hunting

    Jan 13

    How important enthusiasm really is in PR job hunting

    If you have been stressing about your lack of experience, this episode will calm you down fast. In this interview, Amanda Proscia from Lightspeed PR explains why enthusiasm and curiosity often beat experience when she is hiring, and how she spots both within minutes. She also shares which personality types struggle most in PR, what makes someone stand out on a CV, and why some juniors last only a few months. This is the real hiring criteria from someone running a global remote agency team, not guesswork or theory. If you want to understand how to get noticed, survive the pace, and actually be useful in your first year, start here. You’ll get: • The hiring signal that matters most • How to work out if you are better suited to agency life or in-house comms • What juniors can do on day one that instantly makes them useful • How to use AI in a way that helps you rather than exposes you Perfect for anyone applying for PR roles, planning an internship, or trying to work out whether this industry is the right fit for them. GUEST AMANDA PROSCIA - lightspeedpr.com LOCATION: New Jersey, USA SUBSCRIBE - 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.com CONNECT WITH ME - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/ - Website - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/ - 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.com FUTURE GUESTS - Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/

    29 min
  8. Trailer - Getting a Job in PR

    Season 1, Episode 1 Trailer

    Trailer - Getting a Job in PR

    Getting a Job in PR is a podcast about what actually gets people hired in modern public relations and strategic communications. Agencies and recruiters say they cannot find candidates who are ready to do the job. Graduates and early career communicators say they are doing everything they were told to do and still cannot get in. This podcast sits in that gap. Instead of advice lists or generic career tips, Getting a Job in PR runs a live experiment. Each episode draws on conversations with agency leaders and recruiters, then tests those ideas in the real world with anonymised case studies of people trying to break into the industry. You will hear what employers really look for, where candidates fall down, how AI is changing expectations, and which skills actually matter once you are inside an agency. Some ideas will work. Some will fail. All of it is part of the process. It is not about shortcuts. It is about understanding what survives contact with reality. If you are trying to get into PR, hire junior talent, or teach the next generation of communicators, this podcast is for you. New episodes will be released as the experiment unfolds. Subscribe to follow along and head to the website at gettingajobinpr.com

    3 min

Trailer

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Getting a Job in PR: Be the person agencies want to hire in modern stategic comms

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