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Working in PR

As public relations is such a vital function for an organisation, you will find that PR practitioners work across a wide range of industries. In addition, there is a distinction between working in-house for a company or as part of a consultancy.

Working in-house
An in-house public relations department works exclusively for one organisation, originating and implementing a PR programme geared to its management’s requirements. If you work in-house you will need to acquire an in-depth knowledge of your company and the market it operates in.

Working in a consultancy
A consultancy provides an independent service to several clients. If you work for a consultancy, you will need to be able to juggle different accounts and learn quickly about a variety of companies and their markets.

Some organisations have both an in-house PR department/person and an external consultancy, a partnership which can provide a very effective combination of communications skills and industry knowledge.

Which sector?

When you are first starting out, you may not have a preference for which sector to work in. This often comes later on in your career as your knowledge and experience builds. Having said that, if you have a passion for a particular area, focusing your enthusiasm can be a good starting point in your job hunt. Bear in mind that certain sectors can be particularly competitive so it is worth keeping an open mind when you are looking for work experience or your first job.

Take a look at the list below for an idea of some of the different sectors PR practitioners work in:

The CIPR currently has 13 sectoral groups catering for PR practitioners working in specialised areas. The groups offer networking and training opportunities, and some also have mentoring schemes in place. Read more about the CIPR sectoral groups…

CIPR members will find factsheets on what it is like to work in some of the sectors above in PR Student in the Member Area