What it's Like to Work as a PR Assistant

Working as a PR Assistant is a very, VERY interesting job. No two days are the same and I'm always coming into contact with such a diverse range of customers and clients. I've decided to share with you guys what kind of tasks the job entails, what I get up to on a day-to-day basis and a few skills and qualities that I feel are really important in order to be successful in PR. Considering a lot of bloggers now-a-days are contacted by PR's, I thought it would be interesting for you to read what it's like on the other end of it all...

MAIN JOB REQUIREMENTS

* Managing various social media accounts e.g. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, speaking with customers and clients and ensuring a steady flow of followers and conversation.

* Creating a monthly newsletter where I find news stories and events that are relevant to our target audience.

* Writing press releases.

* Working alongside the media and journalists.
* Manage/update website content.

* Supporting the co-ordination of our events and helping out on the day.

* Live tweeting with pictures at our own events and other events that we attend. (This usually also requires me to create a hashtag for the event and make sure that the event speakers inform the guests during their talks and include it on any literature for the event e.g. leaflets, itinerary so that the guests know to use it when tweeting). 

* Photographer (when a professional one is unavailable!).

* Market research.

* Managing and updating a database of all the media coverage that we receive and working out our PR Editorial Value (this means finding how much £££ the size of the feature is worth in advertising and therefore gives a rough estimate of how many people will be seeing it!).

* Creating presentations for various members of the team to deliver at events/meetings.
* Public consultations (going out into the public and asking for opinions/comments on a specific subject).
* Report writing (usually on social media stats and press coverage).

TYPICAL DAY

I usually start work at around 9am. I come into the office and OBVIOUSLY make myself a drink because who can function at 9 in the morning without one? The first thing I do is log onto social media (usually Twitter first) and check any mentions/retweets etc. I check that any scheduled tweets throughout the evening have gone out properly and then generally continue to monitor it for the rest of the day - same with FB, YouTube etc. I will then check if I have any meetings in the diary for that day and spend time preparing for them if needed. Monday mornings usually consist of our weekly team meetings where we go through our diaries for the week, discuss any major upcoming events/meetings and update each other on what went on in the previous week. I will then complete any day-to-day typical jobs that I have on my 'To-do' list and make sure to tick them off as I go along. Usual day-to-day on-going tasks include researching & visiting companies and finding statistics for press releases, drafting/sending press releases and searching publications and online news sites to see if any of our releases have been placed. I also find it interesting to read through the comments from the general public to conclude on a general reaction which can be discussed in meetings. To be honest, no day is the same in my job so I can't fully describe what I would typically do hour by hour so that's the best example I could give you really! 

SKILLS/QUALITIES IN A PR
If you're looking to go into PR then I feel that you definitely have to be a certain sort of person. Now, I'm no PR God but after working alongside PR and Marketing professionals for over a year now, I've put together a list of a few skills and qualities that I've noticed and picked up whilst working.
* Creativity - being able to think outside of the box is crucial. Especially when it comes to campaigns, your imagination will get you noticed and build you up a great reputation (obviously if your ideas are successful!) 
* Enthusiasm - everyone loves an enthusiastic person. Being passionate about a product or business really makes you stand out compared to the person that just shows up because they have to and it will also show your client that you really believe in their product/business.
* Attention to detail - no one likes to make mistakes! I understand that making mistakes is all part of learning but when you're working for a client, mistakes can not afford to be made. Taking that time to really check every detail looks great on you and avoids the awkward conversation with your client if things go wrong!
* Confidence - have you ever come across a shy PR? Confidence is key to the Public Relations industry. Working as a PR means constantly coming into contact with the people of earth promoting/advertising/marketing a product or service. Would you be interested in something if it was being pitched to you by the Cowardly Lion?
* Good people skills - this links in with confidence. Being able to work alongside and build up positive relationships with a variety of types of people will help you to succeed in PR. After all it's not called Public Relations for nothing is it?
* Persuasive/Great negotiator - are you good at always getting your own way? PR is all about negotiation to get the results possible for you or your client. Building up good relationships with people in all areas will help you to succeed in the long run and utilising your persuasive skills will determine whether you will achieve your main goal. 'You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours ;)'. Sounds a bit dodgy that!

So, that's what it's like to work in PR and hopefully you've got a bit of an idea of what it's like to work as a PR Assistant! Like I said, I'm by no means an expert but I really do enjoy my job and am passionate about what I do. This is just an introductory sort of post but if you would like me to go into a bit more detail on a specific aspect then make sure to leave a comment below or tweet me at @HMLPalindrome and I will be sure to help you out :-)

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