Cornelius Alexander

PR Professional

What did you think you would do when you were aged 14 and making topic choices?

I wanted to be a journalist as I had strong writing skills and wanted to travel, and so journalism was my number one choice.

 

Plans

I chose to take an office practice course at school that included typewriting as keyboard skills are an essential. The careers teacher at school had very little on journalism and was unable to advise. Best bit of advice I was given as a 15yr old was by an external careers resource was to go to a local community newspaper and to write for them. I approached them and was given the chance which was excellent experience. I continued working for them whilst taking two A-levels as this is what I needed to enrol in the National Council for the Training of Journalists course.

Journalism was not well paid (there was also a minimum 3-year ‘apprenticeship’ via the NCTJ) and my circumstances changed after qualification and so I needed to consider my income. I saw an advert in The Guardian – Scotland Yard looking for Information Officers – and I still vividly remember the interview. The interview panel was 7 strong and I felt that I was unlikely to get the job as I was very different to them - men in grey suits. I emphasised my ‘East End’ heritage as a job benefit and thanked them for the opportunity to be interviewed not believing I would get the job – but I did.

 

Skills

PR’s range of skills increase/change over time so it is important to be aware of this and keep up to date and you need to ensure you can provide ‘value add’ in your work and can grow in that role. My first role with Scotland Yard Press Bureau quickly taught me how to manage under pressure. Things can change very quickly. I did map out the skills set that I felt would help me, but I never had a mentor and now I think that could have been really helpful with a few ‘decision’ points that occurred in my career. For example, there was a point when I was approached by the Government Information Service – it was a proactive approach by them offering a career move. I declined the move and now wonder what would have happened if I had accepted.

PR careers

I believe that we all have a board of snakes and ladders which dictates our life – some have more of one than the other – but having a mentor or sponsor to help you is a good idea.

Have an idea where you want to be (not everyone is the Director of Comms), what you need to accomplish and how to improve your ‘product/skills set’

Qualifications

I started with my proficiency certificate from the NCTJ then studied for the CIPR Diploma in PR. I then became a Founding Chartered Practitioner of the CIPR – this was the original chartership programme that was quite different from today’s programme. The world of PR throws up over 3,000 different job titles but you can stand out with a chartership from CIPR. My key quotes – PR is not all about spin! and Don’t forget to breathe