Useful Sites

I've been speaking to a number of PR graduates recently, many who are in the same situation as me. So, I thought I'd share some of the websites I've found useful for various different reasons.
Since the job hunt is now a very time consuming process, most people need some way of earning money while they search. One of the best resources I've found for this is student gems. They can be found at their website, as well as on Twitter. They offer freelance and part time work for students and graduates, but all on things that are related to their degree subject. For example, I've been doing some freelance writing work for an SEO Marketing company. This has included articles, press releases and advertorials. Not only has this given me some much needed income, it's also given me the chance to enhance my portfolio of work, which will stand me in good stead for finding future employment. But alongside this they have various PR opportunities, as well as many other subject areas, and all jobs listed are paid positions.
It's well worth checking out if you need some extra experience, or just some extra cash.

The value of meeting the right people

I have good reason for my lack of updates so far this week, as I've been kept busy by a new internship at an event company here in Newcastle. Although I've only just started I'm having such a good time. Working in the all-girl office is such fun, and the company have some really good clients who all have very different kinds of events coming up. The two company directors are really letting me get involved, handing all the marketing and PR efforts over to me. It's a huge amount of responsibility, but so valuable. Plus I'm being allowed enough free time to keep up with my freelance writing work. I know people who have done nothing but make tea, or hand out leaflets during work placements in marketing or PR, so I feel incredibly lucky to be working with such a great company.
If anyone in the North East is looking for a creative event company to help them with ideas generation or event management, check out Sailor Girl Ltd at www.sailorgirlltd.com

Experience

Perhaps one of the most useful things I've learnt since I began my job hunt is the value of relevant experience. With more people than ever going to university, a degree just isn't enough anymore. You need to have something extra to distinguish yourself from the crowd of graduates flooding the job market. Plus, there are very, very few employers who would be willing to take on a graduate with no experience, no matter how good their degree is.
It can be hard to complete unpaid internships, which is why it's best to do so while your studying. While you have the relative security of a student loan, it's a good idea to spend a couple of days a week gaining some practical experience, which will serve you well in the long run. The more experience you have the better chance you'll be able to find a great job when you finish. Although I have quite a lot of work experience which I completed during my degree, I have been attempting to enhance this further still while I'm looking for a job. So, I've been doing some freelance writing for an SEO marketing company. I have Twitter to thank again for this position. As I previously mentioned I've also been working at a conference this week, which has lead to an internship with the events company behind it.
My advice to any current students would be to gain as much experience as you can, from different places relating to your chosen field, while you're completing your degree. It's pretty easy to dedicate two days a week to a placement, and it will prove incredibly useful when you leave university and begin looking for a job.

Part Timers

Wow, what a busy week! I've been working for Sailor Girl Ltd, and events company here in Newcastle, at the ICADI conference at the SAGE in Gateshead. It's been a really useful few days, hard work but definitely good. 7am starts to be at the SAGE for delegates arriving. There's been a huge amount of work gone into this conference, and it's been really interesting to see it all come together for such a large event. It's also the first time this conference, about aging and disability, has been held outside of the USA. It's usually held in Florida, a little different to the climate in Gateshead, but the weather's given us a good couple of days!
I've really enjoyed gaining a little more events experience, and it just further proves the power of Twitter since that's how I got the job! Plus, it's lead to an internship with the events company, so I really can't stress enough just how useful Twitter's been in my networking and job search. Even if you can't find anything permanent, Twitter's a great place to find internships or temp work. All this experience will only make your CV better and better, which will lead to a better job in the long run.

Location, Location, Location

Looking through job sites is a very time consuming task, and even when you do find those elusive PR jobs, they're inevitably in London. The North East? Usually nothing. So where are the PR jobs in Newcastle?
I know there's PR firms because I've done the leg work. Google throws up a huge list of PR, marketing and events agencies based in Newcastle, some large some small, but they are there. So why aren't there any jobs up here, when there's hundreds in London?
I suspect the blame can still be placed at the door of that unwelcome guest, the financial recession. With companies across various industries cutting down on their PR and marketing activities to save money, PR firms are in an uncertain situation. This doesn't exactly free up funds to hire graduates.
However, an article I read online written by a recruitment specialist for the PR industry, suggested that the number of PR jobs is rising, with a 50% increase in jobs since this time last year. So this years graduates are in a better position than last years. Lets just hope the situation continues to improve across the country before next years graduates join the hunt.