Getting a Job in PR: Getting hired and learning the ropes in modern stategic comms

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. GUEST Andrew Healy - Water and Wall LOCATION: New York, USA WEB: waterandwall.com NEW TO PR? - Check out the new podcast '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/

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. GUEST Edeje Onwude - IABC LOCATION: High Wycombe, United Kingdom Web: www.iabc.com NEW TO PR? - Check out the new podcast '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://gettingajobinpr.com/get-involved/

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. GUEST Ben Jacobson, Chief Content officer LOCATION: Tel Aviv, Israel WEB: inboundjunction.com NEW TO PR? - Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.com SUBSCRIBE - Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/ Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast apps 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/

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/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/dukas-public-relations/] NEW TO PR? Check out the new podcast Getting A Job In PR: https://gettingajobinpr.com [https://gettingajobinpr.com/] SUBSCRIBE Video and audio links: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/ [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/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/] Website: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/ [https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/] Getting A Job In PR: https://gettingajobinpr.com [https://gettingajobinpr.com/] FUTURE GUESTS Apply here: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/ [https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/be-a-guest/]

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. GUEST Komal Lath LOCATION: Mumbai, India Web: www.tute.co.in NEW TO PR? - Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.com SUBSCRIBE - Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/ Or search for "The Public Relations Podcast" on all good podcast apps 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/