talk by lindsey collumbell to junior pr professionals, 13th may 2015

Lindsey CollumbellIndependent PR Consultant

VMA DirectWednesday 13th May 2015

Lindsey Collumbell, Bojangle Communications Ltd, T01372 274975, [email protected]

Who am I?


• Independent PR Consultant

• 25 years experience

• In-house & agency

• Multi-award winner

• CIPR Board & Council member

• Sectors worked in: accountancy, aerospace, defence, legal, parenting, retail (online), sport, wedding …

My journey - from there to here


Sept 1987BAe MAD

Undergrad

Jan 1990BAe MADAsst PRO

Nov 1991BAe HQ

Press Officer

Jun 1994Group 4

Press Relations Executive

Jan 1995ACCA

PR Coordinato

r

Jan 1996ACCA

Deputy PR Manager

Jul 1997SBAC

PR Manager

Sep 2000SBAC

Head of Comms

Apr 2004Bojangle Comms

Independent

My career challenges / obstacles


Career obstacle 1• Failed my 1st year at uni

– Offered full-time permanent role in PR department through sponsorship placement

– Opening at HQ for internal candidatesPositive outcome = my start in PR

Career obstacle 2• Hated my job at an agency

– Resigned with no job to go to– Within one month had new role in-house

Positive outcome = Move into new sector



Career obstacle 3• Fell pregnant

– Promoted to Head of Communications with a seat on the BoardPositive outcome = first Board position

Career obstacle 4• Made redundant

– Became an Independent ConsultantPositive outcome = flexibility & parent-friendly



Career obstacle 5• Financial & professional rewards not desirable

– Re-focused my nichePositive outcome = happy bunny

Pearls of wisdom


1. Everyone’s career is different- Think about what fits you, not what others are doing

2. Do what makes you happy- If you don’t like a job / company and how it makes you live your life,

move on

3. The world does not owe you a living- Don’t bitch and moan. Take action

4. Be authentic- Don’t bulls**t about experience or achievements. You will be found out.

Pearls of wisdom


5. Listen to your gut– Make sure the job is a good fit. Don’t be dazzled by the fact it

is shiny & new. Stop & think whether it is right for you

6. People you meet pop up in the strangest places- Treat everyone with respect, regardless of their (perceived)

level of seniority. Says a lot about you as a person

7. Life is too short- Don’t do a job / work somewhere you don’t like. Learn as

much as you can and move on. You will be better at what you do if you are happy.

Pearls of wisdom


8. Are you B2B or B2C? In-house or agency?- In my experience people prefer one or

the other. Experience both, but settle on what you like best.

9. Be professional– “We will operate with integrity and

respect. We will deliver the highest professional and ethical standards. We will not bring the profession into disrepute.” CIPR value

10. Learn how to read upside down!

Top tips for career progression


1. Why have you changed jobs?- Be able to articulate your move from one job to another. Take

the recruiter on a journey with you.

2. Keeps records of work you have done- Build a portfolio to show the range of work you have done.

Even more important is to record the impact of this work. There is an I in TEAM for CV purposes.



3. Honesty & transparency are virtues- There is no place for smoke & mirrors

4. PR is much more than Media Relations

5. Don’t get pigeon-holed- Don’t be a one trick pony. The future of PR is integrated & the further

your career progresses, the less you will specialise & the more you will generalise.

6. Develop your strategic skills- Move away from tactical implementation and into strategy formulation.



7. Keep learning- Never stop. Expand your horizons. CPD.

8. Sanity vs Vanity

- Don’t measure just because you can. The success of what you do is not measured in followers, likes, column inches, AVE ... these are a means to an end, not the be all & end all. Success is how what you do has an impact on the business.

9. Confidence vs Arrogance- Arrogance is only acceptable if you have a damn good reason to be.

Don’t confuse confidence in your ability with arrogance. One is positive, the other negative.



10. Write a blog- Add your views on PR, document work you have done, review

campaigns. Use this to position you as a thinker and demonstrate your writing ability.

11. Use LinkedIn- Add your blog posts to ‘Pulse’ and groups. Comment on other

posts, don’t just ask questions, answer them

My ultimate tip


Start at the end• Think of where you want to be in your

career• Put a timescale on it• Position yourself to move from one job to

the next

Any questions?


talk by lindsey collumbell to junior pr professionals, 13th may 2015

Recruiting & HR