How to Start a Career in PR (UK Edition)

A starter pack for outsiders, students, interns and career switchers

Originally published 22 January 2025 (Updated 13 August 2026)

by Farzana Baduel × David Gallagher

Back

This is an updated version of a guide produced by Farzana Baduel in January 2025. Things happen pretty fast around here.

Introduction

Between us, we have spent decades working in public relations and communications, and neither of us found it straightforward to enter the profession.

Farzana entered public relations from accounting (!) over 15 years ago and learned the UK landscape the hard way, through trial and error, late nights, and networks that took time to crack.

David arrived as an American in London and had to learn the whole British PR culture from the outside: its codes, its institutions, its unwritten rules.

That shared experience of being an outsider is exactly why we wrote this. Whether you are a student, an intern, or a career switcher hoping to join the dynamic world of PR, this guide is for you: the outsider seeking a place in a vibrant community of around 100,000 communications professionals across the UK.

This is not an exhaustive directory. The industry changes too quickly for that. It is a practical starting point designed to help you understand the landscape, find reliable resources and take your first steps with greater confidence.

1. What is public relations?

Ask ten PR people this and you’ll get 15 answers and several weeks you’ll never get back.

In short: PR is the art and science of building relationships, shaping narratives, and driving influence. Whether you are crafting compelling stories for global brands or navigating crises for governments, PR offers endless opportunities to make an impact.

It can involve:

  • Explaining a complex issue clearly
  • Building or protecting an organisation’s reputation
  • Helping leaders communicate with credibility
  • Developing campaigns that influence attitudes or behaviour
  • Working with journalists and creators
  • Preparing for and responding to a crisis
  • Engaging employees, communities, policymakers or investors
  • Understanding whether communication has achieved a meaningful result

Good PR combines curiosity, creativity, judgement, ethics, research, relationships and strategic thinking.

It is not simply about gaining media coverage. Media relations is one part of the profession, but modern PR also includes stakeholder engagement, public affairs, internal communication, digital communication, reputation management, content, measurement and behavioural insight.

2. Understanding the industry

Two questions will help you make sense of the profession:

  1. Where do you want to work?
  2. What kind of communication interests you?

Where you can work

Agency or consultancy

You work for several clients, often across different sectors.

Agency life can offer broad experience, fast learning and early responsibility. It is one of the most common entry routes into PR.

In-house

You work for one organisation and develop a deeper understanding of its people, purpose, audiences and commercial or public-service objectives.

In-house teams exist within companies, charities, universities, cultural organisations, government departments, local authorities and professional bodies.

Freelance or independent

You work for yourself, either directly with clients or as additional support for agencies and in-house teams.

This route usually becomes easier after building experience, contacts and a clear area of expertise.

What you can work on

Common areas include:

  • Consumer and lifestyle PR
  • Corporate communications
  • Financial and investor communications
  • Public affairs and government relations
  • Technology and artificial intelligence
  • Healthcare and pharmaceuticals
  • Internal communication and employee engagement
  • Crisis and issues management
  • Sustainability and purpose
  • Charity and public-sector communication
  • Entertainment, sport and culture
  • Influencer and creator relations
  • Measurement, research and evaluation

You do not need to choose a permanent specialism at the beginning. Early-career breadth is valuable. Try different kinds of work, notice what holds your attention and specialise gradually.

3. Start with your route into PR

For students and graduates

Look for:

  • Paid internships and placements
  • Graduate schemes
  • Apprenticeships
  • Account executive and junior account executive roles
  • Communications assistant positions
  • University societies, student media and volunteering opportunities
  • Training and mentoring programmes

Do not wait until graduation to begin building evidence of your interest.

Write, organise events, contribute to a campaign, interview someone or help a community organisation communicate more effectively.

For people completing work experience

Your aim is not to arrive knowing everything. Your aim is to demonstrate:

  • Curiosity
  • Reliability
  • Attention to detail
  • Good written communication
  • Willingness to ask sensible questions
  • Responsiveness to feedback
  • An understanding of confidentiality

Keep a record of the tasks you complete and what you learn. Ask whether you can retain non-confidential examples for a portfolio.

For career-switchers

Begin by translating your existing experience into PR language.

Someone moving from events may understand audiences, logistics and stakeholder management. Someone from accounting may understand risk, governance and commercial decision-making. Someone from teaching may bring presentation skills, empathy and the ability to explain complex information.

Do not describe yourself as starting from nothing. Identify the skills that transfer and the areas where you need to build new knowledge.

For journalists moving into PR

Journalists often bring valuable skills:

  • News judgement
  • Interviewing
  • Concise writing
  • Working under pressure
  • Understanding how newsrooms operate
  • Identifying weak evidence or unclear claims
  • Asking difficult questions

The main areas to develop are likely to include:

  • Organisational and commercial awareness
  • Stakeholder management
  • Campaign planning
  • Measurement and evaluation
  • Internal approval processes
  • The difference between an editorial story and an organisational objective

Your newsroom experience is an asset, but PR requires you to think beyond publication and consider the full relationship between an organisation and its audiences.

4. What to read

Trade media

A small, regular reading habit is more useful than opening dozens of newsletters and never finishing them.

Good starting points include:

  • CIPR and PRCA updates— professional standards, research, training and industry policy
  • Communicate— corporate communication, reputation, branding and internal communication
  • Earned First— industry analysis and insights for PR and communications leaders.
  • PRmoment— UK industry interviews, opinion and awards coverage
  • PRovoke Media— international agency news, analysis and major campaigns
  • PRWeek UK— industry news, careers, agencies, campaigns and professional debate
  • Strategic– a global columnist network of recognized communication experts.

Newsletters and independent writing

  • Almost Timely— A heavyweight read on AI, data and marketing by Christopher Penn.
  • All Things IC— The UK’s go-to source on internal communication by Rachel Miller.
  • Axios Communicators— A sharp weekly briefing on media, reputation and crisis trends.
  • Baduel Brief— Reflections on overlooked stories, the people who quietly shape leaders, burnout, and why the stories nations tell matter as much as their policies, by Farzana Baduel. (Flagged for transparency.)
  • Field Notes— Weekly commentary and analysis on PR trends by David Gallagher. (Flagged for transparency.)
  • Just One More Thing— Crisis comms, communicating with different audiences, and interviews from the policing, crime and public-safety world and beyond, by Dee Cowburn.
  • Peter Hyman— Substack on communication, persuasion and public life.
  • PR Breakdown— Crisis and reputation management, decoding live media scandals, by Molly McPherson.
  • Signals & Soapboxes— A weekly read on where AI meets comms by Kerry Knight.
  • Simon Baugh CBE— Substack on government and strategic communication.
  • Stephen Waddington’s Newsletter— Insights on corporate communications, public relations, media, and management.
  • Wag The Dog— Crisis, risk and emergency communication by Philippe Borremans.

5. What to listen to

Watch

Documentary Recommendation

 

6. Books worth starting with

You do not need to read everything before applying for a role. Choose one book on practice, one on writing and one on the wider social role of communication.

Books to Build Your PR Knowledge

  • Building a Culture of Inclusivity— by Priya Bates and Advita Patel.
  • Crisis Communication Strategies— by Amanda Coleman.
  • Everybody Writes— by Ann Handley. A practical guide to writing well for content and PR.
  • Exploring Public Relations and Management Communication— by Ralph Tench & Stephen Waddington. The leading UK PR textbook; the standard grounding for students.
  • Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion— by Robert Cialdini. The classic on why people say yes.
  • Influential Internal Communication— by Jenni Field.
  • Made to Stick— by Chip & Dan Heath. Why some messages lodge and others don’t.
  • Managing Public Relations— by James Grunig & Todd Hunt. The foundational theory (models of PR, excellence theory) most academic work builds on.
  • Measure What Matters— by Katie Delahaye Paine. The go-to on measuring comms beyond vanity metrics.
  • Spin Sucks— by Gini Dietrich. Practical and readable, and the origin of the PESO model your glossary references.
  • The Art of Explanation— by Ros Atkins. Fantastic on writing and communicating an idea clearly.
  • The New Rules of Marketing and PR— by David Meerman Scott. Hugely influential and regularly updated; the modern practitioner’s staple.
  • The Reputation Game: The Art of Changing How People See You— by David Waller and Rupert Younger.
  • Trust Me, I’m Lying— by Ryan Holiday. A sharp insider warning on media manipulation — a useful counterweight for newcomers.
  • Truth Be Told: How Authentic Marketing and Communications Wins in the Purposeful Age— by John O’Brien and David Gallagher. (Co-written by one of your authors, flagged for transparency.)

Going Deeper: Academic & Critical Voices

If you want the theory and critical perspective behind the practice — useful especially for students — these researchers are excellent starting points.

  • David Miller & William Dinan—A Century of Spin, a critical history of how PR became a tool of corporate and political power.
  • Dr Heather Yaxley (PhD)— reflective practice and career development in PR; co-author of a metamodern book on public affairs.
  • Dr Kevin Ruck— internal communication and employee voice.
  • Professor Anne Gregory— inspiring work across PR, from professional capabilities to AI.
  • Professor Lee Edwards— critical and sociological perspectives on PR, power and inequality.
  • Dr Clea Bourne— thought-provoking research on trust, finance, and AI in communications.
  • Jacqui l’Etang— a go-to source for an introduction to image, identity and reputation (and PR history).
  • Konstantinos D. Pappas– voice on PR, persuasion and political communication.

 

7. Voices worth following

The lists above tell you what to read and hear. This one is about who to follow, mostly on LinkedIn, where the day-to-day conversation of the industry actually happens. Treat this as a starter to prune and build on, and add the people in your own network who teach you something.

Crisis, risk and reputation

  • Philippe Borremans— crisis, risk and emergency communication
  • Amanda Coleman— crisis communication, emergency response and preparedness
  • Mark Borkowski— reputation, media strategy and high-profile crisis work
  • Molly McPherson— analysis of public reputation crises and live media controversies
  • Andy Coulson– crisis, corporate, and strategic communications, and reputation management

Measurement, evaluation and data

Internal communication and organisational culture

Inclusion, representation and social mobility

Disinformation and information threats

  • Amil Khan— disinformation, narrative manipulation and information threats

Public-sector and local-government communication

Media law

  • Charlie Moloney— media law, journalism and practical legal considerations for communicators

Influencer and creator communication

  • Scott Guthrie— influencer marketing, disclosure, governance and ethics

And, with the usual caveat about self-promotion, both of us post regularly too. Follow whoever sharpens your thinking, and mute the rest.

8. Qualifications and structured learning

A qualification is not the only route into PR, but it can provide structure, confidence and professional credibility.

Always check the provider’s current website before applying. Course names, syllabuses, entry criteria and fees change.

CIPR qualifications

Farzana Baduel is the CIPR President for 2026.

Their current core qualifications include:

  • CIPR Public Relations and Communication Foundation— an entry-level qualification suitable for school or college leavers, career changers and people in support roles
  • CIPR Public Relations and Communication Management Certificate— develops planning, content, evaluation and ethical practice
  • CIPR Professional PR Diploma— for more experienced practitioners
  • Specialist diplomas in areas including crisis communication, internal communication, public affairs, digital communication and sustainability

The CIPR also offers routes towards Accredited and Chartered Practitioner status.

PRCA qualifications

The PRCA’s current core pathway includes:

  • Foundation Certificate
  • Advanced Certificate
  • Diploma in PR and Communications Management

It also offers specialist diplomas and a Level 4 PR and Communications Assistant apprenticeship route.

AMEC qualifications and resources

For measurement and evaluation, AMEC offers:

  • International Certificate in Measurement and Evaluation
  • Diploma in Strategic Communication Planning and Measurement

AMEC also provides the free Integrated Evaluation Framework, which can help practitioners connect objectives, activity, outputs, audience response, outcomes and organisational impact.

Socially Mobile

Socially Mobile delivers a ten-weekCertificate in Leadership Communication.

It is an excellent programme designed for people moving from tactical practice into management and generally requires at least two years of PR experience.

University courses

9. How to build a strong application

Your CV

Keep it clear and easy to scan.

Show:

  • What you did
  • Who it was for
  • What changed because of your contribution
  • Evidence of writing, research, organisation or relationship-building
  • Relevant voluntary, university or personal projects

Avoid vague statements such as “excellent communicator” without evidence.

Your covering note

A strong covering note should answer three questions:

  1. Why this organisation?
  2. Why this role?
  3. What evidence shows that you could do it well?

Specificity matters more than length.

Your portfolio

A beginner’s portfolio might contain:

  • One piece of strong writing
  • One campaign or project summary
  • One example of research or analysis
  • One visual, video or social-media example
  • A short explanation of your role and what you learned

Do not include confidential client material or work you do not have permission to share.

Interviews

Prepare examples demonstrating:

  • Curiosity
  • Initiative
  • Teamwork
  • Handling feedback
  • Managing competing deadlines
  • Solving a problem
  • Learning from a mistake
  • Understanding a current news or reputation issue

Read the news on the morning of the interview.

10. Finding roles

Useful routes include:

  • Employer career pages
  • LinkedIn
  • Professional-body job boards
  • University career services
  • Apprenticeship listings
  • Specialist recruiters
  • Personal introductions and industry networks
  • Thoughtful speculative approaches

Examples of recruiters working in PR and communications include Hanson Search, PR Futures and Reuben Sinclair. Their specialisms and seniority levels differ, so review current vacancies before deciding whether they are appropriate for you.

Do not rely entirely on recruiters. Many junior roles are advertised directly by employers or filled through internships, placements and referrals.

11. Tools you may encounter

PR-Specific Tools

  • Cision— media monitoring and journalist outreach.
  • CoverageBook— visually appealing coverage reports.
  • Google Analytics— website performance insights.
  • Hootsuite— social media management and scheduling.
  • Meltwater— media intelligence platform.
  • Stratum– agentic solutions from Sequencr AI (disclosure: David is a board member)

Non-PR Tech Tools

  • Beautiful.ai— creates presentations quickly.
  • Canva— ideal for designing visuals.
  • ChatGPT— content creation and idea generation.
  • Claude— writing, analysis and research, with a strong reputation for natural drafting.
  • Grammarly— polished, error-free writing.
  • Otter.ai— transcribes and summarises meeting notes.
  • Perplexity— AI answer engine for research, with cited sources.

AI and Entry-Level PR

No guide written now would be honest without this. AI is already reshaping the first rungs of PR: research, media monitoring, first drafts, and reporting are increasingly assisted by it. For newcomers, that is an opportunity, not a threat.

Fluency with AI tools is fast becoming a genuine differentiator for people starting out. The skill is not just knowing the tools, it is knowing when to use them, writing a good prompt, and keeping the habit of checking everything they produce. AI drafts. You decide.

Know the limits too. AI can be confidently wrong, it can carry bias, and using it well means being transparent with clients and audiences about how it was involved. The parts of the job that still pay best are the human ones: relationships, taste, judgement, ethics, and reading a room. Build those alongside the tools, not instead of them.

12. Communities and support

The PR industry is evolving, but barriers remain for underrepresented groups. Organisations championing diversity include:

13. Building a network without feeling transactional

The awards and conferences below matter, but the industry runs on informal networks just as much. Much of the real work of getting known happens in smaller rooms.

  • Local CIPR and PRCA groups, sector meetups, and breakfast briefings.
  • WhatsApp and Slack communities are built around specialisms and cohorts. David hosts a whole community on WhatsApp.
  • Mentoring schemes. The Taylor Bennett Foundation, Socially Mobile, and Women in PR all run them.
  • LinkedIn, used as networking rather than a scroll. Comment, contribute, and connect with intent.

The rule is simple. Show up, be useful, and follow up. Reputations in this industry are built one relationship at a time

14. Awards and events

Key Awards

Major Conferences

 

15. A short glossary

AVE: Advertising Value Equivalent. An outdated and widely rejected attempt to assign advertising prices to editorial coverage.

Backgrounder: A document providing context and detail, usually to inform rather than be quoted directly.

Boilerplate: The standard organisational description placed at the end of a press release.

Earned media: Attention or coverage gained through editorial relevance rather than purchased advertising space.

Embargo: An agreement that information will not be published before a specified time.

Holding statement: A brief initial statement used while a situation is developing and further facts are being established.

Media list: A researched list of relevant journalists, outlets or creators.

Outcome: What changed among the audience, such as awareness, understanding, attitude or behaviour.

Output: What communication activity produced, such as coverage, content or event attendance.

PESO: Paid, earned, shared and owned media.

Media Type Description
Paid Paid media
Earned Earned media
Shared Shared media
Owned Owned media

Pitch: A proposed story or idea presented to a journalist, creator, stakeholder or decision-maker.

Share of voice: A comparison of an organisation’s visibility with that of competitors or peers.

Spokesperson: A person authorised to speak publicly on behalf of an organisation.

Thought leadership: Useful, credible content intended to advance discussion and demonstrate expertise.

16. Progression and pay

Agency titles often progress through roles such as:

  • Intern or trainee
  • Account executive
  • Senior account executive
  • Account manager
  • Account director
  • Associate director
  • Director or partner

In-house structures often include:

  • Assistant
  • Officer or executive
  • Manager
  • Head of communications
  • Director

Titles vary considerably between employers. Compare responsibilities rather than assuming that identical titles represent identical levels.

Entry-level pay varies by location, employer, sector and role. The good news is that pay rises quickly with skill, results, and a growing network. For live figures rather than hearsay, check the current PRWeek and PRCA salary surveys orReuben Sinclair’s report on paybefore you negotiate.

Ask about more than salary:

  • Training
  • Management support
  • Working hours
  • Progression
  • Pension and benefits
  • Flexible working
  • Paid overtime or time off in lieu
  • The quality of the work you will be given
  • Whether internships and trial assignments are paid

Final thoughts

You do not need to understand the entire PR industry before entering it.

You need enough knowledge to ask good questions, enough evidence to show your potential and enough persistence to keep learning.

Read widely, but do not confuse following people with developing skills. Build a portfolio, seek feedback, practise writing, understand the news and become comfortable explaining why communication matters.

Relationships will help you enter the profession, but reliability, judgement and generosity will help you remain in it.

We both entered UK PR as outsiders. We are still glad we did.

Wishing you the very best on your journey. Let us know how you get on.

Farzana and David

 

Acknowledgements

With thanks to members of the wider PR community who shared ideas and recommendations for this guide, including Mat Loup, David Olajide and Solomon Ibeh.

This is a starting guide rather than an exhaustive directory. We are grateful for every recommendation received and apologise to the many excellent practitioners, organisations and resources that space has not allowed us to include.