How to become a public relations account assistant: Bliss' story

Meet Bliss. She's 23, was born in Zimbabwe, and grew up in south-east London. She works as a public relations account assistant at Exposure, a creative communications agency in central London. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.

What is a typical day in your job?

I’m an account assistant at a creative communications agency, which means I work with brands on marketing campaigns. The department I'm in focuses on how to reach youth audiences. Every brand I work on has a different identity so there are lots of different projects to work on. I love fashion! One of the things I do is help launch new trainer designs for big brands.

I use lots of skills in my day-to-day job. Creativity, close attention to detail and communication skills are the most important, I would say. I work directly with clients and influencers so I have to be professional and be able to build good working relationships with them.

Which subjects did you take?

I chose Dance, Drama and Art for my GCSE options because they were subjects I enjoyed most. This really helped with my creative expression and confidence.

At A-level, I stuck with the arts and chose Film Studies, English, Sociology and Drama.

I went on to study Communications and Media at university which was great. English was really important during my degree so I'm so glad I did it at A-level.

Did you face any obstacles along the way?

I came to England from Zimbabwe when I was seven years old and I only spoke Shona. I could read English and understand it, but I couldn't speak it. I started reading more books and that really helped my understanding. English ended up being my favourite subject at school.

I also had a big decision to make when I was applying for university. I originally wanted to do a TV production course but I didn't get a place. I was devastated at the time. The course I did instead involved a year in industry so I got experience of other kinds of jobs I could do.

Top tips

• Be proactive and apply for things that are accessible to you
• Focus on things you enjoy
• Don’t be scared to speak to people and get advice from the people you look up to
• Have confidence in yourself, because that can take you really far.

Bliss is currently an account assistant; her experience could set her on the path towards becoming a public relations officer.

What to expect if you want to be a public relations officer

• Public relations officer average salary: £18,000 to £50,000 per year
• Public relations officer typical working hours: 38 to 40 hours per week. You could work evenings and weekends occasionally.

What qualifications do you need to be a public relations officer?

You could get into this role via a university course, a college course, an apprenticeship or specialists courses.

This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed. (sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service)

Find out more on the Prospects website about the role of a public relations officer.

For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).