Public relations account executive : Employers and vacancy sources

The majority of positions are found in public relations (PR) consultancies, which provide independent services to their clients. Consultancies vary in size from three or four people to hundreds of staff members, although larger consultancies are often split into specialist divisions. Consultancies specialise in either one industry sector or cover several, for example: business-to-business (B2B), consumer, charity, fashion, financial, government and public affairs, or technology.

As PR is a key element of the marketing mix, some of the larger full-service marketing consultancies have a department dedicated to PR (just as they may have a design and/or advertising department). Opportunities for PR professionals exist in full-service marketing agencies, requiring account executives to work closely with other departments to deliver integrated marketing campaigns to their clients, as well as developing their knowledge of other elements of marketing.

Opportunities also exist within in-house PR departments, working exclusively for that particular organisation. In-house PR professionals may deal with the entire organisation's PR and communication matters or work in tandem with PR consultancies on certain projects. In-house positions often require previous experience in PR or might involve a graduate position that spans different parts of the marketing mix. 

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• PR Week  
• Campaign  
• The Drum  - published fortnightly. Select UK, England, Scotland or London location from homepage to personalise content.
• Press Gazette  
• Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)  
• Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA)  
• Guardian Jobs  on Mondays and Saturdays.
• The Independent  on Mondays.
• The Scotsman  

There are specialist recruitment agencies that handle vacancies but these are invariably for experienced candidates. See Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)  for a list of recruitment agencies dealing with PR. 

The Hollis UK Public Relations Annual is a useful source for listings of companies and consultancies for speculative applications.

How to get a job in PR - A guide  

Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.