Jed Hallam

Great website by the way. PR to me is the art of communication, it doesn't matter if the company you represent is large or small, the one I represent at the moment is small with a small s! I love the psychology behind marketing. Trying to figure out what makes people tick, what they respond to. . ,The ideas are easy to come by-its the implmentation thats a challenge! Don't know about a degree in PR it might be really beneficial, although it sounds like a cliche I think life long learning goes a long way though . I do think you do have to be creative though and genuinely get excited about your idaes. Maybe a little eccentric too? I speak only for myself!

I'm an English graduate and keep finding myself falling into sales and marketing roles.
I want to persue a career into PR, but it's really difficult seeing as I have no formal business/marketing qualifications!! I'm looking for internships, but even these are difficult to get due to people being more qualified than me.
The frustrating part is that I know, if I got the chance, I would learn fast and really work my worth!

I'm an American (Denver, Colorado) and it seems that I am in the wrong hemisphere.

I was in school for two years studying marketing/PR. I soon realized that the education I was being fed was worthless and no where near worthy of its high price tag. I left,"I knew everything", and stared my own company. I then proceeded to fall flat on my face...but I learned so much more in those eight months than my friends with degrees know now. Beyond knowledge, leaving school, failing and still wanting to press on, only helped me confirm my love for the art of communication.

It seems to me that getting into the American marketing/PR/Ad industry is just about having a degree in anything. I literally know of several people with PR firms that didn't even know what "PR" was short-hand for until the day they submitted a resume! However, they had a degree in agriculture so all is well.

The thing that riles me about this is that so many of these "practitioners" couldn't care less about the craft, industry or people they represent, it's simply a job to them.

I find solace in hoping that there are still some greats in the marketing world that truly just want to be great. The Ogilvy's, Ayers and Arden's of the world. Amazing people that hire people that are even more amazing based on their passion, potential and a sense of obligation to produce astounding work for their clients... not because they were willing to sit still and take note for four years.

That's my two cents.

-Thanks

Jed, what a great debate!

I'm a final year student at Leeds Met studying PR and am writing my dissertation about how pertinent the knowledge gained on the PR degree is to the development of a PR professional. This debate has definitely brought to light some interesting points.

With PR being one of the top three career choices for graduates we are competing against a whole array of students. At present I am applying for graduate level PR posts however, it is hard to tell whether employers prefer those with a PR degree or not.

I agree that PR is a personality and that cannot be taught however, I think that as boring as PR theory may seem it has provided me with a great foundation to becoming a better PR professional.

Although the degree may not have taught me how to become a practitioner, having a weekly placement has definitely enabled me to understand the industry and put my skills and theory into practice.

If it is possible I would like to include some of the comments to this discussion in my dissertation. Would you mind if I did?

Thanks

This is a very helpful discussion for one like myself who wants to emerge into PR. I am currently in my last year of uni studying a Sport Science and Physical Education degree. So you could say my course has no correlation with PR. But listening to all your comment i now start to believe that there are similarities as in my degree i do look at alot of social issues and media in sport. It is also stated above that you need to have several personality skill which i again studying my degree you need to be confident in those skill.
Again like thomas mentioned if anyone felt generous enough to enlighten me on the best way to approach PR firms or better still knowledge of firms offering work experience I would be much obliged –

I'd like to see more focus in PR on lifelong learning as having the degree is only one step on a successful career path.

We all need to keep developing our skills and knowledge and there are opportunities presented by studying for qualifications, attending training courses or conferences, self-improvement from reading and multimedia, as well as actual practice, and networking, mentoring, etc etc etc.

One problem with the "learn on the job" approach is that it depends who is doing the teaching. Isn't it likely that many of the really poor PR practices have survived because these are being passed on by those who are unaware (or don't care) that there are other, better, ways to achieve the end result?

I'm a fan of post-graduate PR qualifications (like Stuart, I gained the CAM qualifications, and I now teach the CIPR ones). These help those who have gained experience in PR to add the solid foundations of theoretical principles and best practice research to their existing skills. As such, these qualifications offer a vital lift into management for many and help demonstrate there is more to PR than having a bubbly personality or being able to craft a press release.

I have an A.A. in advertising and PR and I am working on a B.S. in PR and a B.A. in journalism and I know it is helping me. While I could write a press release after graduating with my associates, I had no idea how much of a social science PR is. I think having a bachelors degree in PR is going to help me learn the skills I need to be a great PR practitioner. I could pick up chemistry if I was working in a lab, but having a degree in it would help me get better faster. Just because someone can learn to write a press release doesn't mean they know all of the skills involved in carrying out a PR campaign. I have learned how to gather research and put my ideas into fruition.

Wow seems a lot of people have an opinion on this.
Everything is relative, if a car mechanic wasn't shown what a car was then he wouldn't be able to learn or understand how to fix one.
"Mickey Mouse course" is a term I hear associated with a PR degree quite a lot. This I find very disheartening (as I currently am studying the subject) as most degrees could be seen as only an introduction into a sector and that you really start to learn when you are in the environment. PR is just one of the most recent to be targeted.
PR is a personality yes, but like a personality it has many different attributes due to its involvement in nearly every area of society, thus allowing a wider range of personalities to become involved.

With such negative press how can PR move on and become positively recognised as a profession.

I feel that to give more weight to a PR degree it should include more detailed coverage of subjects like english language and linguistics due to the importance of understanding communications.
This, i feel, would give it a stronger backbone that would although it to develop further. There is a lot to PR, it just needs to be drawn out and taught more effecitvely.

I love PR with all of its +ves and -ves, it is an area that is only going to grow over the coming years and I plan to be there all the way.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading all of these posts!

This has been one of the better discussions I've come across. Congratulations to all. As someone who spent 17 years as a journalist on newspapers before entering PR, I'd say a Degree isn't necessary. But at least a Degree sayd you have the ability to apply yourself to a series of projects, and, depending on the standard of the course, teaches you the basics. However, Degrees that s-t-r-e-t-c-h PR to, say, 16 units are probably flimsy. Folks, there just isn't that much to PR. Far better to have a mix of business/advertising/marketing/PR. At Notre Dame in Fremantle (Australia) the Degree is a combined Business/PR Degree, and there are only eight PR units. Sensible.

‘Training is all too often one of the first expenses to be axed in a crisis’ proclaims the caption in PRWeek (28th Nov 2008) in its article “Three ways to train your staff”. There are some interesting comments on the benefits and disadvantages of in-house training as well.

The cost element is interesting. The adage that given enough time you can do anything whether it be Lawyer, Actor, Archaeologist or Doctor assumes that there is someone – the employer probably - to pay. Like other students I am part funding my PR degree studies and hopefully the fact that it is a CIPR accredited course taught in the main by people who still practice will mean something in the years ahead.

Yet if a PR degree has no value does any degree? If you have good 'A' levels why should someone bother going to university if it is all about personality? The follow on question being: if there is nothing special about PR why should anyone bother hiring an agency or having in-house professionals?

Chartered status was a step the industry took to bolster the industry overall. Education is one of the legs which support that status. Positive strokes - like the comments given by Stuart Bruce’s and David Brain’s will - over time - establish the value of PR training to the ultimate good of the industry. Negative strokes will do the opposite. Tom Watson, reported in Richard Bailey’s PR Studies blog, questioned whether their were enough positive strokes.

Richard Bailey’s question about what instruments exist in a free market economy is answered in part by Rob's 26th Nov comment. Governments and hiring companies are increasingly asking whether agencies have 'recognisably trained staff’across a range of companies - not just PR agencies. It is something that potential employees may look at as well.

One comment I will add about work experience is that – in my experience to date - it isn’t only about acquiring new skills but about cementing the learning that you have already had. Elements of both my PR degree and CIM studies ‘clicked into place’ when I was in Romania this summer. Hopefully the same will happen on my 2009-2010 placement - whereever that is!

Hello While searching for Blogs about get your degree set I found your site blic relations degree worth it? | Rock Star PR. Thank you for the effort you have put in.

I guess another consideration is the type of PR you're in. If it's more events and public face-to-face PR then your personality may be more of a factor. But the flip-side of the coin is a large percentage of PR companies aren't concerned with launch events, being seen, or stroking client's egos - their role lies more at the marketing-comms strategy end of the spectrum. To do this sort of PR you'd generally get nowhere without a significant world view, broad business experience and contacts - if only because the sort of companies which seek this sort of help vet their service providers more closely and require a few ticks to have been marked off before they'll even consider engaging a PR company. In this respect a formal PR qualification is invaluable.

Many PR companies are really more in the business of getting publicity than they are in PR per se. They hold launch events, do announcements and 'be seen'. PR is growing into different areas (online, SEO etc) which broadens the scope of who can say "I do PR". Being able to write a basic media release might be nuts and bolts of basic PR but many of the highest regarded (and paid) PR companies hardly do any media releases.

I'd generally only hire someone who'd shown an interest in PR either through applying for and completing a course or someone who'd shown skills in-house or worked their way up. Just showing interest alone isn't enough nowdays.

I am currently a first year on the Leeds Met PR course.
I like the idea that PR is a personality that cannot be 'taught', but I also like the idea that the PR personality can be 'developed'. I believe a PR degree is a great way to do this.

I did work experience previous to my course and although I learned a lot from this, I have so far learned more from my course. For those who did not study English at A Level, we could be lacking in essential skills that are needed in PR, as taught in the Research and Writing module. The constant presentations in all modules help build up confidence of even the shyest pupils and the feedback and help from lecturers means that we can build on and develop our skills every time.

I have returned to the same PR company I attended in the summer once a week while on my course. The skills that I have learned so far on my course constantly come into play whilst I am there - putting theory into practice.

I agree with you that for some a PR degree may not be essential, or for others a PR degree may not help them at all if they do not have the right mentality. However for those that do have the right mentality and a passion for learning, studying and practicing PR, a PR degree is a great way of gaining the skills that will be crucial for a career in the industry.

I have a PR degree and believe I learned a lot in four (and a half) years, but I feel I learned just as much if not more in a three-month public relations internship.

How very apt for me to stumble across this today (thank you Lloyd),

I guess I am the subject of this debate in so far as I have recently finished a degree in Philosophy and I seeking my allusive “first break”. I whole heartedly agree with the points already made so far regarding Humanity related degrees lacking a direct vocational focus and as such make the next steps into the business world somewhat trickier. I loved my Philosophy degree, and although it has furnished me with a lot of transferable skills, with regards to clarity, articulation and creativity, I find myself struggling to “get a foot in”.

Not having a proven track record makes the ideal of stepping straight into employment after university allusive. I personally feel that it is more and more common for students to accept that after finishing their degree they will need unpaid work experience before truly getting a foothold on the career ladder.

I would even go as far as to suggest that it is essential for Educationalist to recognise this issue and ensure that all degree courses include extensive vocational advice and direct experience. So many students have left university with no clear idea how they can use the skills they have equip themselves with, and it is industry that is missing out. Firmer links are needed between local companies and universities, allowing both sides to benefit from the other.

I note Stuart's departing comment but...if anyone felt generous enough to enlighten me on the best way to approach PR firms or better still knowledge of firms offering work experience I would be much obliged – tomashaffenden@gmail.com

Great debate Jed.

From my point of view, as much as I hope a PR degree gives graduates some sort of idea what the industry has in store for them, I really don't think it's a necessary qualification to gain entry into the industry.

Having been involved in hiring for a few different agencies, PR qualifications never got the candidate through the door any more than a History, English or Geography degree did, it's all about the individual and building experience from the ground up.

I'm not putting PR degrees down, and to be transparent I did a business degree, but i've seen the shell shock on all new starters faces - whatever degree they did.

So, is a PR degree worth it? If you think it'll get you through the door and a job - no. If it's to help your education as part of your preparation for the role - yes.

Wow Jed, what a response. Where do I start to add my comments as a lot of it has already been said.

I suppose my answer would be it depends. I'm a very firm believer in the value of PR qualifications and certainly anyone with less than about ten years' experience has to offer me something 'special' to counter the fact they don't have one. When I first graduated I paid personally to put myself through completing the CAM Diploma in PR as weekend classes.

I think the real value of PR degrees isn't necessarily when you first start work. Some of the technical skills can reasonably be learnt 'on the job'. It gets more useful a few years later when the really good PR students tend to be the ones that become best at seeing strategic comms within the overall business and organisational context.

I also very much agree with David Brain's comment about the importance of 'extra-curricular' stuff on a CV. What most impresses me, regardless of what degree someone has done, is what else they've done over and above what they had to. On a PR degree you have to get some experience, either as a year out or during the degree. That don't impress me much. What does is what you've done for your student union, a local charity, community or pressure group, a political party - you get the idea. I want people who are willing to put something back into society because you want to, not because you have to. If people can't be bothered then Wolfstar definitely isn't the best place for them to start job hunting!

My personal opinion is that a degree might help a person understand some of the principals, but it doesn't make or break that person as a PR practitioner either way.

I know of people in PR who are fantastic at their job who have never had any PR training of any sort, and those I would say are not particularly good who do have a degree. Certainly personality is key in my opinion...and as David Brain mentioned there are different "PR personalities" all of which are equally suitable.

What 'makes' a good PR practitioner is enthusiam, dedication and a good attitude, not to mention ability to think things through, as well as to plan and organise effectively.

I do wonder whether some with a degree come with an enhanced sense of self sometimes, in that they believe their PR degree makes them good at the job automatically!

@Richard M – I really wanted to get your opinion because of the alternative path you took after education, it may not have been PR focused but you helped me to decide that I didn’t have to do things the traditional way. A sort of ‘make your own destiny’ moment.

@Ben – I think that Arts and Humanities degree’s help you to learn core skills (analytical, creative etc) but I think that you have to match the mindset and personality to the profession. And, in my opinion, to be successful in PR you need a lot of things that degree courses and the like simply cannot teach. The biggest benefit of a PR degree is the work placement/experience you’re forced into – something mentioned by most people commenting.

@Chris – Personality tends to be the door-opener too. If you can build a relationship with your interviewer quickly, you’re set!

@Richard B – I agree with you 100% and I’m pleased that you make the distinction between ‘academic’ and ‘educator’. In my (relatively short amount of) experience I find that a lot of PR academics cannot make the transition between theory and business application, to them ROI is a hindrance and not a necessity.

@Amy G – I’d certainly agree that PR is a difficult industry to break into – but you have to do just that, break in. When the competition is as high as it is, it’s no longer acceptable to send a CV and make a follow-up call to get an interview - even the traditional ‘press release CV’ won’t cut it. You have to go out and force your way into an interview – take a risk, it will pay off.

@Emily – I think a Psychology degree would’ve done you more good than you let on – look at Matthew Freud! The best PR degree program I’ve come across (or met students from) has been the Leeds Met course lead by Richard Bailey – the students are keen, prepared and (most) understand how PR works in a business sense.

@Adam – I’d definitely agree regarding the quality of the course and the institution, but then does that bring us back to the difference between Russell Group graduates and polytechnic graduates? The course at Leeds Met would suggest not…

@David – I think PR still tends to be a ‘distress purchase’ for a lot of people. Personally I fell into PR because of the amount of writing it would let me do but I quickly found that I enjoyed the other aspects of PR just as much, if not more. It sounds like Edelman has a fairly balanced recruitment policy and it’s reassuring for non-PR graduates to hear that it’s not a prerequisite for a huge firm. I would agree that PR isn’t a single personality type, but I would suggest that it relies on three or four core parts and then the personality ‘fills out’, so to speak, around those three or four parts. I’d love to evangelise even more about twitter but I think people are starting to get bored with me talking about it – simply put, it’s great!

@James – Energy! What a great mention, I always forget to include energy as one of the key aspects to any good PRO. The positive thing for PR in academia is the fact that web2.0 (shudder) helps raise these issues with the educators that matter – which is probably why the Leeds Met course is great and why a lot of the American (broad generalisation, but still true) PR courses are good too. Once an educator climbs into the conversation between practicing PRO’s, they begin to understand the needs of the industry rather than the history of the theory.

@Richard G – I think you’re the sort of personality that I’m talking about. Someone that ‘gets’ PR and it seems like common sense – to a lot of people it doesn’t. The fact that you left university and had the confidence to do whatever you wanted should encourage the right type of people that it’s within grasp.

@Chris – I’m not sure that there’s a distinction between talent and personality. The excellent thing about matching up personality to industry is that people perceive you as an interesting, intellectual person rather than just a public relations officer. By playing to your strengths you outshine those in the wrong profession and become a leader. I think.

@Michael – It was no ramble, it was interesting! It’s great to get someone’s opinion that is in the stage of transition that you are. And again, like Richard Galbraith, you took a risk and it’s paying off! My ‘Jerry Springer’ final thought would be that anyone wanting to break into PR has to be prepared to take risks.

@Rachel – I would agree with you 100% that the experience and internships help get you through the door and extend your network – but it does beg the question; would you rather employ someone who toils away for years lying under the radar or would you rather employ someone with tenacity that sends a shoe through the post (see previous post on getting into social media)? I would also suggest that doing a few journalism modules puts you above the vast majority of PR graduates that haven’t – understanding the demands of journalism guarantees that you’ll be a better PRO.

@Paul – I’ve been wanting to write this for a while now, our conversation the other day simply relit the fire (definitely NOT a Take That reference)!

Phew…

Thank you all for your insight, some excellent thoughts and experiences. I’ll be issuing a follow-up post with accompanying tweet’s so keep your eyes peeled!

I studied PR at Leeds Met and I must agree the most useful part of the degree was the year in industry. I was lucky enough to land a great placement with Citypress PR in Manchester who gave me my first taste of real PR practice.

In the final year of my degree we focused on much more relevant modules like the communications audit, pitch and portfolio. These modules definitely helped me develop my skills as a PR professional - however the experience I'd gained during my 14 months in industry gave me the confidence to go the extra mile and excel.

I’ve now been working in the industry for four years and I look back at my degree with great fondness. However, I truly believe I'd be in a very different position now if it hadn't been for the invaluable experience I gained along the way.

hey Jed,

I thought you might blog on this when you mentioned it the other day. When I was picked to uni I was quite sure I wanted to find a career in the marketing/ PR industry however I didn't really have a clue which area. I looked into advertising, PR and marketing degrees but came to the conclusion that they seemed a little light on the academic side and ultimately it would benefit me more to do a non vocational subject and get some extra-curricular activities which would help me into the industry.

So I studied Sociology, got myself onto events committees, wrote a little for the uni newspaper and became the marketing guy for a society. It all looks very nice on a CV however with a PR degree I would have spent my third year at a PR agency doing real PR and graduated with that elusive years experience, as it stands I didn't have time during my degree to even do part-time experience and now I'm playing catch up.

Long story short I'm very happy with my degree and don't think I've lost out in the academic stakes but the year in industry I missed out on is definitely a massive bonus to the PR degree.

Paul
(Sociology grad)

I am studying public relations at a university and feel it is preparing me well for the field. The majority of my courses are in journalism, broadcasting and communication. For electives, I can take a variety of classes including business, advertising and ethics.

But I do agree about the "personality." For some people, PR is a fit. If you are not a good writer and communicator, the PR degree isn't going to help you as much.

At my school, the PR program prepares us well for internships as well. Internships are required for graduation, therefore we leave with a good idea of what the career is like. '

I would also note that many universities don't have an actual PR program. Usually, they have a journalism program with a PR concentration. A PR-focused program, of course, will better prepare you.

Lastly, there are extra-curricular benefits to getting your PR degree. You get the opportunity to network with other students who will be entering the job force at the same time. You also can join PRSSA, or even a student-run PR firm. These are the things that really have helped my career. It's not just about the degree, but the degree does help

Great post Jed, and some brilliant comments in response that as much can be learnt from.

It's an interesting topic for debate which I've actually been asking myself a few times recently..

I'm a recent graduate in Marketing, did 4 years of the stuff including a year Market Analyst placement at Hewlett-Packard which was awesome.

I don't think it's hugely unfair for me to say that I learnt more in my 1 year placement about business, about the 'real world' and working life than I ever did in 3 years of University education.

Having said all that.. during my final year I was feverishly looking around for my next step, my first job outside of the University bubble and in doing so after 2 interviews and a 30 minute presentation on the digital switchover and the opportunities it brings to a retailer I got the job as an Assistant Multi Channel Marketing Manager at Argos head office, the day after my last exam and to start within 2 weeks..

In hindsight this hadn't allowed me the time to think about what it is I really wanted to do / match my skill sets to or where I wanted to be. I made the presumption that because I've got a degree in Marketing, the job I go for has to be a Marketing position. Perhaps I still don't have the definitive answer but I know now that was a mistake and it's ok to broaden your horizons and look what else there is out there.

It was liberating to hear colleagues who had studied something completely different to what they're actually doing now and the wheels were set in motion for me to think more about my future career.

In difficult economic conditions I made the bold/stupid decision 4 months in to move to London in Oct and make a career change and as with Jed, I've fallen in to PR, freelancing at Splendid Comms as a Digital Publicist and thoroughly enjoying it. I'm aware that it's freelance so I'm always on the lookout (nudge nudge ;)) but it's given me an insight and a taste for the PR industry, and I love it!

Apologies for the overly long rambling but im summary, I didn't study PR and here I am!

Best, M

Jed this is an interesting debate, as you know I have hired lots of PR practitioners over the years and I have worked with many talented communications professionals from all walks of life.

I think I agree with you that personality is important but when you say that do you mean talent?

One of the best PR Directors I have worked with was extremely driven on new business and had a great head for strategic thinking and advising brands on what to change - he had talent. However, I believe he would be talented no matter what industry he was working in not necessarily just PR.

A PR degree helps but I have to agree with Adam. It also depends on where you study. For instance, Leeds Met's course is very theoretical and looks at the theory behind communications whereas Bournemouth's is supposed to be more based around the writing side/application element of PR.

The truth is if you have an individual who has talent and self motivation they will be a success in whatever job they do.

i studied journalism at uni and was really good at it. I ran my own music magazine when i left, and i guess that was really my first look at the PR side of things.

I landed a job as a creative copy writer for a word of mouth marketing company and got taught the marketing and PR ropes by some clever people, now i'm in London giving the PR route a serious go, and showing how social media can be beneficial to what we do as a company and pushing for more integration.

It's been a rocky ride to this point, but i've seen a natural progression from what i started out as and where i am now. i think the degree was definitely beneficial, but pretty much everything i've learnt that has brought me to this point in my career has been off my own back. i'm sure it'll continue to get more and more interesting as i try to promote my first novel and get it published etc as well as working professionally within the business.

if you get a few aspects of it, the rest comes naturally i think. PR isnt rocket science.

I would broadly agree with David Brain. I have seen over the years some great PR practitioners and some had a PR degree and some didn't. It just wasn't the differentiating factor. Its much more about what you bring to the job, your energy, your curiosity, your passions. So I wouldn't discount someone with a PR degree but neither would I favour one.

I would say though that that is technically a fail for the PR academics if their courses make no difference to employability.

Good tweet too - wouldn't have found this otherwise.

Interesting post and some great comments. Like most people of my generation, PR was a second career or "distress purchase". I began journalism training and got turfed out by the recession of the early jurasic period (1984) and PR seemed about the only thing I was equipped to do. And so I had very different career expectations to the people Edelman hires in now. I do think a degree or training in PR is a good thing. At the very least it demonstrates a commitment to the business and means some of the principles and techniques have been picked up and the courses and the teachers now are SO much better than they were a few years ago. Richard Bailey for example turns out great people. At Edelman we took on seven graduates this year in September. Of their degrees; two were in History, one in English Literature, one in law, one in Communications, one in Journalism and one had an MA in International PR. So broadly 3 of the seven were vocational type degrees.

But we also look for people who get involved and make things happen, whether in voluntary work or cultural, political or sporting pursuits. We put great store on that. As for personality, absolutely that is key, but I would challenge the idea that there is only one sort of personality that is right for PR.

Great post and well done for the Twitter signpost to it! You obviously kow what you are doing about getting a debate going.

I think it also depends where you do the degree. I've had a few debates with PR students across the pond in the US who believe that a PR degree is a must to enter the industry.

It's also worth pointing out that a Public Relations course isn't available at every institution.

One thing a lot of PR practitioners have said to me is that the year placement for a PR student often helps them 'get their foot in the door' as Amy says above. There are obviously other networking opportunities available but this seems to be one of the biggest bonus' for the students.

The quality of the PR programme itself probably matters quite a lot in terms of whether the degree makes a difference. Some programmes are probably really good, while some may be a bit too fluffy. I assume this because I've worked with PR degree-holders who are great, and some who aren't. I started Hatch with a degree in psychology - did that help me in a technical sense? Nope, but the experiences I had in uni definitely did. I think, given the popularity of PR for career-seekers, if a university could convince potential students that it delivered a red-hot, vocationally-relevant degree, that uni would do very, very well in signing people up and agencies would do well to recruit out of it. PR is still a relatively young profession so as the profession itself matures the aligned studies will too.

I did a one-year post grad diploma in Public and Media Relations at Cardiff Uni and think it helped me get a "foot in the door". It's quite a hard industry to get into, so the fact the course included three work placements helped me kick-start my network. I got my first job because the MD approached my PR tutor for candidates.

At Cardiff I shared a couple of lessons with the journalism students (ie media law and we staged a press conference with them) which helped me understand the journalist's agenda / pressures etc.

Looking back I would say that the course was worth it in terms of expanding my network and opening doors for me.

I see public relations as 'ideas management'. To be able to manage ideas, you have to have them... To have them, you have to read, debate, think.

I have huge admiration for intelligent practioners (though conversely see few job opportunities for unintelligent practitioners) but I must confess I'm often impatient with academics (viewing myself as an educator).

Finally, I'm still (despite recent setbacks) a believer in free market competition: no one deserves a job because they're a graduate with a particular degree. They deserve it when they're the best candidate.

Richard
(History graduate)

In my experience there's only one way to learn - on the job. I agree with you that it's a personality thing, and those with most personality will always be the ones that can deliver the full package - imagination, creativity, client relations, media relations etc. University can't teach you that.

We had a work experience girl in once at an agency I was at a few years back and she was always going "yeah, but at uni we're taught that..." - not here, you're not!

Having said that, one of the people I rate higher than anyone has a PR degree (but she also has bags of personality) so that helps. No personality - no career. Period.

A degree in PR is the same as any other degree in the arts and humanities - unless there is a strong vocational element (as Richard points out) then the degree won't prepare you that well for working in 'the real world'. History, Philosophy, English, Sociology, etc. - all very good degrees with no clear career path at the end.

As such, it is the experience gained outside of these degrees that is more likely to prepare you for working life, whether its playing sports, joining a society, or taking up work experience as part of the degree.

It's only when students/graduates get into a real working situation with real clients that their skills are put into practise. As @vikkichowney tweeted just yesterday:

'Graduates; there's nothing like real industry experience - now you really start learning'

This is an element that Bright One is trying to help with, offering students real life clients as part of their degrees - even if they're not studying PR - so that they can learn on the job and do something for the social good at the same time.

I didn't work in PR for that long.

My opinion is that people don't need a degree to work in PR. I took a few PR modules, and they were very light on content or anything that could be of much use.

Generally, unless there's a heavy vocational element to it, I can't see much benefit in PR education.

Which puts me at odds with some people I really admire.

Jon,
You make some excellent points and I certainly adhere to your school of though (if the qualification from that school would mean anything, of course!).

I'm really hoping that this post will conjure up some interesting debate - and with your comment we already have a fantastic viewpoint.

There is something to be said for experience.

A degree means that you should have studied the past and come to the table with that perspective in your pocket.

However, in the best degree is useless if you cannot convert theory to practice. You cannot learn to ride a bike until you get on it. But if you first study physics, balance and riding on a stationary cycle, you will be better prepared once you hit the ground.

However, just because you don't have that piece of paper doesn't mean that you are any less qualified than the next guy. All it means is that you don't have the perspective of a trained "practitioner". PR and Communications are a human sciences. We invented them, we drive them, we are them. If you intuitively "get it" you can do it. But a little background, some perspective, some experience goes a long way.

The degree isn't worthless, but neither is someone without the degree. At the end of the day it's a question of performance. And while new-comers bring a differing perspective, a different twist and a unique innovative spin, it always pays to know how to ride the bike before you get started.