Studying Public Relations in England compared to Malaysia

I came to England to complete my final year of degree education at Leeds Metropolitan University.  Studying here is different in comparison to in Malaysia. The PR industry in Malaysia is not as matured and established like it is over here. PR in Malaysia is mainly focusing on event management.  PR is not seen as a profession, like over here, people do not know what PR people actually do, but the perception and awareness of the functions of PR are improving.

When I was studying in Malaysia, I had a very hectic timetable with lectures and tutorials.  Our curriculum was mainly theories from textbooks, I have to say, it was dull and had very little stimulation.  I enjoy the ways of learning here; the tutorial sessions are very interactive, these methods of teaching encourage students to engage and to build rapport with tutors.

A bloggers life

I started reading blogs on fashion and beauty around 4 years ago, and after becoming hopelessly addicted to the personal, genuine nature of them in comparison to magazines, I finally decided to start my own a year later. I’ve now been blogging for around three years, and follow hundreds of blogs on food, lifestyle, PR and more. Whilst at first it felt like I was putting myself out there in front of the whole world, I’m now so glad I started and couldn't imagine life without my blog.

Is PR the right course for me? A retrospective view on my journey so far…

I’m now into my second semester of the Public Relations and Communications course.  I was first drawn to this course because of the focus on the work experience and the strong teaching team who has a wealth of industry knowledge.  Since beginning of the year, this course has taken me out of my comfort zone and really challenged my creativity.  

Updates From Lucy

Updates From Lucy - Week commencing, 24/2/14

Claire Mascall Award winners announced:

Congratulations to Adele Roberts (final year PR with Marketing Student) for winning this year’s Claire Mascall Award. Adele will undertake a two week placement at the London Stock Exchange, and wins £1,000.  Becky Mason (PR Student final year) and Anja Swan (Journalism student) win a week’s placement at Quest PR in Harrogate and MCG PR in Chapel Allerton, respectively, as well as £500 to support their transport costs, and hopefully leave some left for nice outfit!

On Placement – What I’ve Learned

I’ve been on placement with Harrogate-based Different PR since October 2012, typically in the office one day per week during term-time and full-time over the summer as well as the odd week here and there.

I feel I’ve learned an awful lot working at Different, the fact that it’s a small agency has been a real benefit I think. Because it’s relatively small I know the team and how they work very well, and unlike placements at larger agencies where smaller, more menial tasks can be the norm, I've been allowed to spend the vast majority of my time there really contributing to the work the company does for its clients.

Survey Season At Leeds Met

Yes, it’s that time of year again – the Student Satisfaction Survey (SSS) for first and second years and National Student Survey (NSS) for final years are out.

But it is important to remember that these surveys are your chance to reflect accurately on your overall experience of your course and your university – not air grievances on specific issues.

A Day in the Life of a TV Publicist

As we all know, PR is a pretty broad industry, with scope to work in just about any field imaginable, whether it's tech, fashion or consumer. For me, it's always been entertainment, what better way to put all those hours spent watching endless amounts of TV series and reading which celeb is dating which into practice? Well, sort of. On my placement year, I managed to bag myself a job at UKTV in London where I worked with the likes of Dynamo, and it only confirmed that Television was where I wanted to be.

Top Five Tips To Succeed In Your Studies

     1. Listen/Read – You’d be surprised at what you can pick up by listening to what’s being said both at lectures/seminars and online. Often the best gobbets of information can’t be accessed by glancing at lecture slides on X-stream (no matter how much you want that to be true first thing on a Monday morning). Be it quotes and statistics to use in assignments or comments on trends in the industry seen on twitter, be aware of what’s being said – it could be the difference between a 1^st and a 2:1 or secure you a placement at interview.

Five Lessons Learnt On Placement

I started a placement year in July 2012 as Communications and Market Access Assistant at Baxter Healthcare, working within the UK and Ireland communications team. This was the beginning of a journey of ups and downs and more lessons learnt than in the entirety of my previous education. After completing the year I would, without doubt, recommend a placement year to anyone considering it.

While the things I learnt and the ways in which I developed are countless, I thought I’d count 5 of them! My top lessons are below.

Alastair McCapra Shares Plans for CIPR Future

Wednesday 12^th saw the population of Leeds hanging onto their hats and trees gracing the tarmac of our roads, but that did not stop Alastair McCapra, Chief Executive of the CIPR venturing up from London to attend and speak at the CIPR Yorkshire & Lincolnshire Annual General Meeting, held at Leeds Business School.