What advice would you give to women joining the PR and comms industry in 2024?

While the PR workforce continues to be mainly made up of women, there are still challenges to be overcome for the majority of us – a lack of women at the top and a pay gap that hasn’t closed yet being just two of them.

But there are joys to be found in the work, and in our community. Here are pointers from women established in their careers for those beginning their journey in PR and comms.

Be bold

‘Be as imaginative and creative as possible – sometimes our industry becomes so caught up in trends and what works that imaginations become stifled. I understand, we want to please our clients who want a low risk, high return investment in PR but sometimes we have to find ways to be imaginative and bolder.’

‘Whether that’s within the organisations that we work with or the content that we consume and amplify as thought leaders. Be more daring.’
Ronke Lawal, PR consultant and founder of Ariatu Public Relations

‘I would say don’t be afraid to put yourself forward and dare to challenge. Women are more powerful than we’ve ever been before and although there’s still work to be done. We are making our mark in this industry but need to continue being brave and breaking down boundaries, because if we don’t do it, who else will?

‘Most importantly, always ask questions. You don’t know what you don’t know and there’s no shame in that.’
Sophia Iqbal, junior account manager for Roland Dransfield

Be passionate

‘Be led by your passion! The best thing you can be in this industry is fervent with a roaring fire in your belly. Everything else follows. Creativity, proactivity, productivity and collaboration. You’ve more than likely entered the industry because you’re interested in it, so my advice would be to stay interested. Keep reading blogs, going to conferences and networking events, getting to know people in the sector, building your own brand and also just being led by creativity and energy within your role. That way, as they say, you’ll never ‘work’ a day in your life.’
Jessica Pardoe, senior account manager at Source PR

Bring your unique perspective to work

‘Don’t shy away from providing new perspectives or fresh ideas. As an Asian woman, I’ve found that I sometimes approach campaigns or ideation from a completely different viewpoint to my colleagues. That’s not to say one of us is right and the other is wrong, it’s just that we’re shaped by our own individual experiences and upbringing. I’m lucky to work in a business where no two people are the same, we also have clients working across virtually every industry. I’d encourage women joining the PR industry to be authentic, think outside the box and really embrace their background.’
Sandish Shoker, PR account manager at Tank and former BBC journalist

Ditch the Imposter Syndrome

‘Number one: Put that imposter syndrome to one side. You absolutely deserve to be in your role. Speak up and voice your opinion and rise to the challenges ahead.’
Rebecca Lury, partner at Pagefield

‘Find the confidence to put yourself forward for opportunities! Gain all the experience you can, and make sure you’re leveraging that to build visibility and credibility in your network.’
Kelly Gilmour-Grassam, founder of Making You Content

‘When joining a new industry, confidence is key. Women can sometimes feel like they need to prove themselves from the very beginning and if they’re anything short of perfect then they’re not good enough. This is simply not the case. Don’t be too hard on yourself and remember, you were hired for a reason!’
Elena Rose Bunbury, junior account manager at Hatch

Build your skillset

‘So called “soft skills” – such as being able to multitask, being empathetic and an active listener, being creative and curious, with good attention to detail – will stand you in very good stead for working in PR in 2024. With PRs battling against an ever-negative news landscape, being empathetic in your communication is invaluable. It also gives you the edge when it comes to understanding the challenges faced by clients – from an agency perspective – which is useful when coming up with solutions to problems.’
Megan Boyle, head of content and digital PR at TAL Agency

Specialise

Take time to deeply understand a specific field or acquire a niche skillset beyond general PR and communications. For example, I’ve just spent six years getting an engineering degree to fluently speak the language of our manufacturing and engineering clients. This might be extreme! But it adds credibility, gives me an understanding of their technologies and industries and technical knowledge AND marketing experience is a rare combination.

‘Specialisations could be data analysis, financial communications, crisis comms or CSR. Having a deep knowledge base in a domain makes you a coveted expert able to provide unique value. While generalists once dominated, PR now rewards niche authorities. If you have past education or a career to leverage or need to learn from the ground up, find something that can separate you from the crowd and become indispensable. Setting yourself apart takes initiative but opens doors others may miss out on.’
Amanda Kinbrum, managing director of Fresh B2B

Build connections

‘It’s important to take advantage of every opportunity for mentorship and networking to connect with other women leaders who can provide guidance for navigating your career path. Don’t be afraid to promote yourself and your achievements confidently on LinkedIn and in interviews. I would also suggest seeking out companies that align with your values around culture and work-life balance.’
Mel Stark, director at Stark Comms

For more on how women can create the career of their dreams in PR and comms, read this piece from Ronke Lawal, featuring advice from successful women across the industry.