This is the time of year that the comms industry tends to put forward its predictions for the year ahead. I won’t bore you with my thoughts on that, but I did want to pull together some advice for anyone looking to get into our industry.
There are many routes into our profession – and comms is richer for it. Having a university education isn’t the be all and end-all. I have always recruited on attitude rather than aptitude. Those who are willing to learn and challenge themselves will go further faster.
Failure is our friend. Comms professionals aren’t infallible and it’s in no one’s interest to pretend we are. In my career I’ve learnt ten times more from my failures than my successes. They should be cherished and celebrated.
I can’t just be me who loves the tactile feel of going through a newspaper? And the best of our industry is celebrated in those pages. You can see what journalists are writing about, get the feel of the political landscape, understand what other comms professionals are pitching and you’re also supporting journalism.
If your email inbox is anything like mine, the last thing you might be thinking about is subscribing to more newsletters. But having a ready-made digest of what’s happening is so useful in terms of taking the temperature, absorbing knowledge and enabling you to provide good advice.
And finally, be yourself. There’s no how-to book and no template for the perfect communicator. Forge your own path, create your own future and work in a way that’s right for you.
Yasper will be recruiting in the coming months, and I’ll guarantee an interview to anybody who shows initiative. If you’d like some hints and advice, or even someone to look over your CV (I’ve seen a few, good and not so good) then I’d be happy to help. Drop a message to hello@yasper.agency.
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