Raise Your Game: Your job?

Jane Williams: I am Senior PR Officer for the Sports Council of Wales. I help governing bodies of sport such as Welsh Athletics and Disability Sport Wales to achieve more media coverage for their sport.

On a typical day, I write press releases which are sent to the media. I take a lot of enquiries from journalists so I need to have lots of facts to hand. I set up interviews and filming which often requires much coordination - but it is all worth it in the end! It pays to keep a keen eye on the news so you know what sort of story appeals. I also prepare media strategies which require looking at the year ahead and the stories we need to promote.

Other duties include overseeing the production of a newsletter and media campaign, to event-managing three major tournaments in the Welsh golfing calendar every summer.

RYG: Why this job?

JW: I didn't know anything about sport when I joined Sports Council for Wales but I had qualifications in PR and it looked like fun. I'm a convert to sport now - glued to the sports pages to find out how Welsh stars are performing.

Sometimes, the achievements of the sportspeople I work with would go unnoticed, so it is very rewarding when I get coverage. The job also allows me to get out and about. I meet athletes and coaches after training sessions and I travelled to Melbourne in 2006 for the Commonwealth Games to do PR for the Welsh team. It was an unforgettable, if exhausting, experience.

RYG: How did you get this job?

JW: I wanted to be a journalist so at school I undertook a week's work experience at a local radio station. On my last day, the station asked me if I would be interested in helping out the news desk on a long-term basis so I ended up helping out in between lessons and exam revision for the next couple of years.

It was a great grounding in the media and the practical experience was invaluable. For a start, I learnt how to spot a good news story and how to pack lots of information into a neat sound bite. At Cardiff University, I did History and worked on the student radio show.

I then secured a place on the Post Graduate Journalism course which had a specific PR element. I then worked for Cardiff Council promoting the Millennium celebrations before joining the Sports Council. The rest is history.

RYG: Highlights?

• Working with talented young sportspeople when you know they are going to make it.
• Meeting sporting legends


• Not working in a dull, office environment. It's far from it.

RYG: Lowlights?

• Seeing sportspeople who are at the top of their sport not being given the recognition they deserve.
• Not enough time. Sometimes it's hard to juggle everything but it means that planning ahead is all the more important.

RYG: Getting a job like this?

• Seize training opportunities - get voluntary experience working with your local club, school etc helping with publicity.
• Don't stop learning - just because you've got yourself a job doesn't mean you can sit back. Ask your employer about training courses. The Commonwealth Games was a fantastic learning curve and I have also taken a two-year secondment with Ryder Cup Wales in which I developed the corporate website and helped organise tournaments.
• Communication skills are essential. Brush up on your writing skills. Learn to speak to a range of people - I deal with many different types of people including young athletes, coaches, sports scientists, politicians and the media. And never be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand.
• Practise your listening skills. Accuracy is crucial in this game. The media trust me to give them the right information such as scores and race times - I can't get it wrong.
• You need to be friendly, approachable and confident - that's one of the most important things in this job.