Related Posts
Hi all - S& reached out to me about an interview with a “new” Corporate Development Services team that is part of / a spin-off from their Deals Strategy team. Post-MBA role.
I can’t find much online, especially S& specific. Does anyone have any insights on the team / group. What the work looks like, what the staffing model is etc?
My background is corporate finance and I would be interested in returning to that post-consulting, so it feels like a good fit. Thoughts or advice?
PwC Strategy&
More Posts
Could anyone share the payscale for C10 band?
Mentor
Additional Posts in PR and Communications
Mentor
What’s going on at Ruder Finn these days?
Mentor
Don’t waste your time & money - on the job experience is king. Just keep diversifying you skillset, even if internal comms is where you want to stay, you’re more valuable if you know how both sides of the house work, can have an integrated POV, etc.
Mentor
Yup, this is the answer. I’ve never been asked one time about education. Not once.
Build experience, perspective, and leadership skills. Don’t just be great at comms but genuinely understand the business. Be bold and take ownership in what you can (and there is always something), no matter the level. Make things better than they were before you and the opportunities will come. That’s what it takes to get to the most senior levels.
As someone with 20+ yrs of experience in comms who has been in several leadership roles and guest lectures at a few universities in their comms dept, my best advice is to NOT get a masters. It’s a huge waste of money and time. Their curriculums are still based on comms 10+ yrs ago and PR is and has been changing drastically. Companies want to see experience. Put in the extra hours in the job you’re at. And don’t stay at one job forever. Move around every 3-4 years and explore different opportunities - in house, agency side, etc. I always hire people who are great writers (so maybe a one-off writing course might help?), someone who is relationship-based (with clients and media) and someone who is a collaborative team player.
@coordinator - I interned in PR and loved it so much I never stopped. But, I’ve literally done everything. I’m not a specialist. I’ve done corp comms, advertising comms, internal comms, and a TON of media relations for everything from non profits to sports to music to consumer goods. A PR agency working on a bunch of accounts was like boot camp in the best way. Then I freelanced. Terrifying but a great lesson in what I love to do and what I was willing to work on. Hope that helps! Again, writing is the #1 thing a good PR person needs to be able to do.
With 6 yoe, I’m not sure a masters would help. If you want to teach, go for masters in comms/PR. You may also consider getting your accreditation in PR (APR through PRSA).
I’ve been researching current job postings to see what employers are looking for. Some comms jobs I’ve seen don’t require a degree in business, journalism, etc. It seems like the senior roles want experience, results, and more strategy. If I were to go for a masters I would focus on a degree that dove into how businesses operate to gain that high level strategic thinking. But I’m not in a senior role (maybe one day), curious to see others responses to this.
“always apply to the job you think you might be under qualified for”…I like that lol. Thank you for the advice 🙏🏽
I didn’t have an undergrad in PR or Comms, so I got my MA in New Media with emphasis in PR. If your undergrad has nothing to do with the field, a degree really helps you gain some credibility!
English undergrad major here. Skip the masters. I worked as a journalist for a while, switched over to comms and took over at a small firm. Love it and believe experience trumps any flimsy piece of paper.