Industry Insight with Tim Gearey

Posted 15th February 2010

Welcome to the Industry Insights section of B-Hive. Over the next few months we will be interviewing some of Birmingham’s most successful PR, Marketing, Creative and Digital professionals – the B-Hive employers!

Today Tim Gearey, Managing Director of Golley Slater Public Relations is telling us what specific skills graduates need to succeed.

Is there any specific skill that graduates need?

As a potential employer on the agency side, we understand that graduates will lack any real experience so we look closely at their enthusiasm, drive and initiative – things you can’t teach!  If we can see potential, then we’ll happily invest time and resources to develop their skills and expertise.  Ultimately though if you want a career in PR then written and verbal communications skills are always going to be important.

One of the new challenges that our industry is facing is the explosion of digital media and user-generated content.  The pace at which change is taking place is something the whole industry is grappling with and we have recently seen the emergence of technical rather than communication specialists.  I think we’ll see increasing demand for people that show.

How do you decided if you’re more suited to working in-house or at an agency?

Anyone starting out their career in PR isn’t going to know whether in-house or agency is going to suit them better.  Both demand different types of skills but the need for first class communication is the same.  Agency life can potentially offer more exposure in terms of different industries that you work across, whilst in-house provides the chance to gain in-depth knowledge of a specific sector.  Having worked both sides, I wouldn’t like to say which is better as both have pros and cons. 

What do you enjoy most about your job/industry?

The variety!  I’ve been working in the PR industry for nearly 15 years and can honestly say that everyday is different……..new products to launch, pitches, crises to manage.  There’s always some new challenge thrown your way.  I also think that we’re lucky in that we get the opportunity to meet people and do things that you wouldn’t in most other jobs.

Keep checking the B-Hive website for the next interview in our series.