You’re studying PR. You’re in your final year. You’ve read a lot about why work in PR. You’ve already made the decision that PR is the right career for you. Great! But now you’re a little lost. You want to get into the industry, but what’s next? How do you get a PR job after graduation?

No worries. At the end of this post you’ll find a list of the 2015 PR graduate schemes in the UK currently open for applications.

These PR graduate roles are run by some of the best PR agencies not only in the UK, but in the world, so competition is tough. You need to be prepared for that. But if you’re driven enough, nothing is impossible.

There’s one thing you need to bear in mind though – the deadlines are quickly approaching. For most of the positions you need to submit your application by the end of January (which is two weeks away). Don’t worry though. It’s absolutely doable. You just need to be motivated.

Social media, content marketing, mobile and real-time – these have been the mega trends of the past few years.

What we’ve been seen and experiencing as consumers and as professionals in terms of technological development is simply amazing. We can’t live without our smartphones, tablets or other devices such as kindles. We seem to be in a symbiotic relationship with them, where our devices have become extensions to our bodies – without them, we can’t function. Just look around the next time you’re in the city, at the airport or especially in public transport – everyone is gazing at their devices. I promise you, you’ll be shocked at the scene, just put your phone away and look around!

Here are some staggering statistics to convince of the magnitute of technological adoption:

After the PR interviews with Richard Bailey and Pippa Hanson, it's time for the third interview in my blog series"Why Work PR?".

Today, Jessica Hodkinson shares her PR experiences and advice with us.

I 'met' Jess a few months ago on Twitter and we've been following each other since then. She regularly blogs about online PR and I encourage you to subscribe to her blog and follow her on Twitter for tons of useful information.  

Why Work in Public Relations: Interview with Jessica Hodkinson

1. As a short introduction, can you tell us a little bit about you and what you do?

I am a PR and Social Media Consultant blogging at www.onlineprpixie.com 

2. How exactly did you get into PR and what work experiences have you gathered so far?

After graduating back in 2009, I started the painful job hunt and faced a lot of mind boggling situations and rejection; I struggled to remain motivated before I found the right role. I saw an opportunity with a digital agency in the north of England and I decided to apply for it. I became an online PR consultant and learnt some essential skills that definitely set me up for the future. I also started my own blog!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a fantastic time welcoming 2015.

The first day of the New Year is often the time when we look back at what’s happened in 2014 and what we’ve learned and achieved. And we also make some New Year’s resolutions (admit it, cliché or not, you have done so too!).

Just as I did for my 2012 and 2013 blogging at iliyanastareva.com reviews, today I am going to dive into my Google Analytics to see how the blog has performed in 2014 and what posts you liked the most. I will then tell you a little bit more about my New Year’s blogging resolutions.

But let’s start with a few things I want to mention before I move onto the data.

First, I want to express my deepest gratitude to you for following my writing. I can't believe the blog is now 3 years old! :) 

Second, I want to reflect on my biggest wish for 2014, which was to seriously advance in my career. I achieved that by joining HubSpot as a Channel Consultant in December, which was a significant career jump for me. I’m now looking forward to challenging myself at my new role, learning a lot and sharing that with you. I also can’t wait to get to know my new home and country better – Dublin, Ireland. :)

PR is becoming a very competitive industry. The chase for talent is tremendous.

Being successful at university guarantees you a good degree, which is the first thing you need to be considered for a PR job.

Bear in mind that many PR agencies have started looking for talent with diverse backgrounds, so not necessarily people with PR degrees, but from more specialist areas such as finance or even healthcare.

For example, I didn’t study PR. I hold a degree in International Business, but I still pursued a career in PR – and I got it. It wasn’t easy, but I laid the ground while at university. That’s where success starts.

Based on my experiences, I would like to pass on my advice to you how to excel as a PR student and help you set the basis for a successful career in public relations.