Public Relations Links - Interview Tips

Interview Tips

......................................................................................................................

You've filled in piles of application forms, rinsed every contact you know and written what feels like thousands of words. Now you've finally earned the chance to meet a real person in the company.

Given that this is the bit that costs them the most money and time, that means they must like you on paper. But personal contact is everything in any job, and especially PR. The key question is - would they put you in front of a client that pays the firm thousands of pounds every year? Your job in the interview is to show you are capable of being a dependable and credible face for the company.

So, what are companies looking for in an interview?

Quick thinking

PR consultants help clients solve tough problems for their businesses, and are often put on the spot at very short notice. You have to be sharp and credible in your response to questions where you might not be 100% prepared on the answers.

Achievement

You've got to be good, and good at talking about being good. Your Nobel Prize is all very well and will get you 95% of the way to that job compiling writing the notes for press releases - but if you come across as thinking you're God's gift, you will be seen as someone no-one wants to work with. Know your strengths and communicate them well.

Confidence

Critical. PR is a people job - working with colleagues, working with clients - knowing how to play to an audience. See your interviewers as an audience. At all times you should be able to project an image of cool, calm and collected. Come across as someone who your interviewer would trust to complete a key piece of work on time and without fuss and you've won half the battle.

Leadership

Leading and persuading people is key to success in PR. Look like someone who people will trust and follow.

Presentation

Look the part. That doesn't necessarily mean wearing a tie. It means looking like someone who crosses all the t's and dots the i's. And the lower-case j's.

Well-rounded

It's no good being an academic genius if you have the social skills of Jeremy Clarkson. PR pros need the full package, so recognise your weaknesses and make every effort to improve (or hide them).

Some things to avoid;

The obvious

Mumbling, speaking too quickly, being unclear - cardinal sins in any interview. Don't lose sight of the fact that however uneven the situation might be, an interview is still a conversation!

Looking unprepared

Know the basics. Why do you want to work there? What do they do? Who are their clients? Check their company profile on our site if they have one and read every page of their website to glean as much info as you can.

Delaying tactics

Don't forget that for the interviewer, this is work. Like all work, they'd like it to be over quickly and painlessly. Make it as easy an experience for them as possible; they will appreciate you for it.

Back to Careers