Becky R.
About me
| Becky R. | |
| History | |
| History | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Derwent | |
| 2011 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Senior Account Director, Healthcare PR | |
| Hanover Communications | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Advertising, marketing and PR | |
| Medium-size business (50-249 employees) | |
| 2018 |
More about Becky
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A day in the life of a Senior Account Director, Healthcare PR in the United Kingdom
PR is a busy and buzzy industry. Every day is different, which is great but you also need to be open to change.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
I work for a communications agency working specifically in healthcare PR, however we also offer public affairs services and PR support across different industries.
What do you do?
My day to day role involves managing teams to deliver comms activity for various clients within the healthcare space, ranging from pharma companies to med tech and the NHS. The role involves working with media, placing news stories, managing social media channels, creating digital content as well as developing brand messaging, running events and crisis comms. Anything and everything! It also involves working with lots of different people, which I love, helping to tell healthcare stories and really using my creative skills to create fun campaigns!
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
I wasn't sure what I wanted to do after graduating, however someone mentioned PR and I undertook a number of work experience placements which helped me get a feel for the industry. I managed to get a work experience in the NHS within a comms team and loved it - both working in healthcare as well as the day to day job. As luck would have, it a couple of weeks later they had an available role and I signed up! Since then I've moved through to a PR agency and continued in similar roles, trialling out different sectors to confirm whether my passion lies in healthcare.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
I had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated, but I definitely hadn't expected to work in healthcare. It was an area I had always enjoyed though and found interesting, so it actually felt like a natural fit.
Describe your most memorable day at work
I love being able to tell stories that matter, and helping people adopt healthy behaviours. One of my most memorable days is being able to tell the stories of those working on the frontline within the NHS in non-medical roles. I was able to get NHS cleaners - hidden voices - on TV and in the newspaper to showcase the incredible work they were doing. It required a lot of logistics, briefing various people, ensuring tech worked during COVID as everything was virtual and ensuring timelines aligned. It was amazing to be able to shine a light on people doing important jobs in healthcare.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
PR is a busy and buzzy industry. Every day is different, which is great but you also need to be open to change. You can have a plan for the day, but everything will be thrown out the window if a client needs something urgently or there's a media crisis, so you need to be able to work quickly, be adaptable and manage your time and juggle conflicting priorities well. As it says on the tin, it's also all about communication, so you need to be clear with people, write with accuracy and creativity, as well as not be afraid to pick up the phone.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
I work in the office, and this is great for PR as often things need to be done quickly or you might need to consult with someone and it's so much easier to do this in person, however we do have flexible working days now which is great. PR is all about team work, so it's important to have a positive, supportive culture to ensure you can get the job done - particularly on days when it's busy! Sometimes you have to work late to get the job done - but the results are always worth it, getting media coverage, launching a campaign or running a successful event - and there will naturally be quieter and busier periods.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I played a lot of sport which was really helpful in terms of team work, and knowing how to work with others. Captaincy also helped with leadership. In addition I was also on the committee for the Big D (if these still exist!) which helped with event organisation. I would also suggest helping with one of York's many media outlets to get a feel for how the other side of comms works.
What would you like to do next with your career?
I'm keen to progress to a leadership role within the healthcare and science sector as it's a field that really interests me, especially at the moment. It's great to see more people talking and thinking about their health.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
If possible try and do work experience or internships to see if you really like the role and job - you could be in it for a long time so it's worth giving it a try! Lots more places are doing virtual work experience now after COVID so it may be more achievable than you think. Also think about your CV - employers want to know what transferable skills you have that will be relevant for their industry, rather than the coffee shop you worked at. Think logically about what can set you apart!
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Getting into PR, healthcare comms, CV development, PR agency vs in house comms, work experience when you're not from the city
Next steps...
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