Looking for career advice on how to break into this ever-challenging PR industry? This month we sat down with Lara Leventhal, PR expert for a leading PR agency in UK, for an insightful and informative chat including some great career advice for grads and a look at what makes her tick…

What advice would you give to someone wanting to break into the industry?

It’s really tough for graduates to get into PR at the moment. The market’s incredibly competitive and there is a shortage of jobs. The main advice I’d give to a candidate is: try to do something different that’ll impress the company you want to work for. I’d love it if a grad turned up at my office determined to get in to see one of the team, with their CV in a bottle, or a box – just something that shows they’re hungry for the job and really want to be different.

What can new talent do to get ahead in PR?

This is a people business and the main thing is to show enthusiasm, passion and an excitement for what you’re doing. Come to work with fire in your belly and really wanting to do the best that you possibly can every, single day.

Is it more about skills or experience?

In the current climate, with so many people competing for the same job, qualifications are the first place we start. So we will look at the uni someone’s been to and the type of degree that they’ve got. But what always stands out on a CV is someone who’s done interns, worked in their summer holidays and done as much work experience as possible in their own time, which again shows they’re passionate about what they want to do.