Meet Jess and learn about her role as the PR director for Bluedot Festival. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
We are running the press office with around three hundred and sixty press on site across the weekend. So it's making sure all the press gets on site successfully and efficiently. Making sure they are equipped with all the press releases they need, any images, any information. We do a full interview schedule throughout the day. That would have been pre-arranged with artists and the journalists and we also manage the pit, which is escorting the photographers to the front of the stage, the key headliners, so it's very full on, very manic.
I spent the last eight years in PR. I kind of fell into it really purely based on networking, being very confident, and going to events and kinda getting into it that way. I had no experience of it. In terms of the qualifications, I didn't have that. I had to go out and be proactive. I have worked my way up from being an intern. I started off as an intern just to get that experience and now I'm a director of the company. So, yeah, right through.
Attitude is everything. You need to have the right attitude, the kind where you are willing to go above and beyond. Again, networking is really important and knowledge is power. So you know, like research, doing a load of internships, getting all that work experience, soak up as much of that experience as possible so you can become the best in the industry as you can possibly be.
I didn't have the experience… so I had to be proactive. I've worked my way up from being an intern and now I'm a director.
Jess works as an account director for the PR company Carousel PR. At festivals like Bluedot, she runs the press office, managing all the members of the press that are attending the event
At festivals, Jess supplies press teams with a pre-agreed schedule of interviews with different artists and manages the "pit". This essentially is escorting the photographers to the front of the stage where they can take pictures of the headlining acts
Having started out with no experience or relevant qualifications, Jess has worked her way up to being a director. Whilst she has stayed in the same company, many other people in the field move around companies to gain a range of different experiences
After her GCSEs, Jess went to college and university but didn't study anything to do with PR or Music. What helped her most was the experience she gained planning social events at university
She credits being confident in approaching people, networking and attending different events with helping her make it in the industry. Getting out there and making connections can really help!
What to expect if you want to be a PR director
- PR director average salary: £40,000 to £80,000 per year
- PR director typical working hours: 39 to 41 hours per week
What qualifications do you need to be a PR director?
You could get into this role via a university course, working towards the role or applying directly.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service
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.
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).
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