17 April 2007

Bugger the PR degree, blog your way to the top...

The recent furore over whether having a PR degree is any use whatsoever (here, here, here, here...) is obviously a complete distraction from the truly modern way to climb the PR career ladder (or rather the PR career "one of those little round stools the shop asisstants use to reach the top shelves in Superdrug"). Nowadays you've got to blog to make it big in this game.

The latest of the UK PR bloggers to use his position as a member of the recognised A-list (hey? list) to secure himself a huge payrise and a seat behind a desk in Britain's leading city, is newly-hitched Simon Collister, moving, as he is, to self-positioned authority on all things 2.0, Edelman Public Relations.

Presumably this move was part of a pre-nup agreement that Collister arranged with his new wife..."OK love, I'll make an honest woman of you but only if we can move out of this godforsaken backwater..."

So Edelman has filled the chasm...OK, we might be stretching things there...left in its Interactive Solutions team by the recently-departed Stephen Davies, self-proclaimed PR Blogger and another clever young thing who used his online mutterings to secure a route out of the north...from university to Edelman and onto Frank PR inside a year (it must almost be time for another move, hey Stephen..?)

Collister and Davies are both following the trail blazed by the daddy of all blogger careerists, Mayfield, but who's next, we wonder..? Bruce made his bid for freedom at the start of the year...though it has come to n'owt, we presume...and the likes of Byrne, Waddington and Smith are clearly comfortable where they are. Millington, perhaps? Westcott? Hopkins..?

Shall we start a book..?

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your kind words, TWL. If you fancy a second home in a delightful "godforsaken backwater" you've got my number.

Stephen Waddington said...

Neat story. You're definitely onto something here.

But how's this blogging lark working out for your career prospects TWL? Any offers come your way yet from Edelman?

....the world's leading.... said...

It's surprising, isn't it Wadds? You'd have thought some big PR agency might've made us a huge offer...if only to shut us up.

Sadly, nothing. So it's full steam ahead with our own expansion plans.

Anonymous said...

"it must almost be time for another move, hey Stephen..?"

Ha! Are you offering me a job TWL?

You can't blame someone for taking advantage of their online visibility. I don't mind saying I blog partly for self-promotion - much like the majority of other PR bloggers.

PR-wise, it won't be long until having a blog is insignificant. In the meantime I'll use it to my advantage ta very much.

:-)

....the world's leading.... said...

Quite right too young fella...you keep it up.

Anonymous said...

It's second time round for both Simon and Stephen, as both found their first/current jobs by blogging. And as well as Stephen having a PR degree, Simon is studying for the CIPR diploma.

As for me there is little desire to take a step backwards and end up in London again. In fact it's all happening up north, if you watch and wait.

....the world's leading.... said...

If we watch and wait..?!

We haven't got the time pal...busy, busy, busy...greasing the cogs of global industry, that's what we're up to.

Unknown said...

Shame ... we had a new "king of the world" position opening up, but looks like you are busy with plans for world domination.

As for the bigger picture, I would much rather spend a few nights trawling the blogosphere to see who has what to say for themselves rather than forking over huge recruitment or advertising fees for what might turn out to be a few average candidates. Surely this makes sense for any employer?

....the world's leading.... said...

Spot on Jac. Mind you, you'd have to sift through some shite to find the diamonds, wouldn't you? Still, there's not much on the box these days.

Anonymous said...

Very comfortable here thank you (settles into leather arm chair and pours a whiskey).

Anonymous said...

BTW Simon - when you get to Edelman, don't be taking tips from that Rubel fella - check this out:

http://strumpette.com/archives/
364-EXCLUSIVE-PC-Magazine-Considers
-Edelman-Boycott.html

Anonymous said...

Set up a self-promoting blog? How pathetic.

Anonymous said...

If you can't be a shameless self-promoting tart on your own behalf how on earth can you do the same job for a less valuable brand, like a clients?

On a more serious note congrats to Stephen and Simon.

BTW the north isn't all its cracked up to be, I know I used to live there, so we may be waiting along time watching and waiting for it all to happen. A bit like watching 'One Man and His Dog'

....the world's leading.... said...

"Set up a self-promoting blog? How pathetic"

Mark, let's face it...they all are. Apart from the anonymous ones, of course...

Anonymous said...

Mark: Come on now, don't be so naive.

Stephen Waddington said...

Pass the whiskey pls Andy.

Of course it's all about self-promotion. As Ged says, it's PR init.

Unknown said...

Mark: a blog doesn't have to be self-promoting, it just has to be good. If it's good, it'll be self-promoting in spite of itself.

I agree with Jac: why bother with recruitment consultants? I hire writers, and what better way to assess potential writers than by reading their blogs?

On which score, anyone interested in a full-time copywriting job based in London's swinging W4?

Anonymous said...

Naive?

Whoops. I was trying to be ironic. Bloody worldwideinterweb. I suppose I should have done a cheeky, winky face. Like this: ;-)

And yeah, of course all blogs are self-promoting. That was meant to be the point. Clickety-click on my name and what do you get? A picture of my rubbish face and a load of, well, self-promotion. And some stuff about IT, of course.

Now, what else can I say that is controversial... Err, that Andy McCue at Silicon. Well he likes pickled onions. And on his wedding night, a woman gave a jar. And do you know what? He ate the lot*.

*Disclaimer: this story is a lie

Anonymous said...

That's enough about your Chiswick dinner party circle Fiona.

Anonymous said...

What, good ol' fashioned shagging your way to the top doesn't work in PR anymore?

Unknown said...

Mark: I realised the cheeky winkiness of your comment as soon as I clicked on your name. Doh! Sorry about that.

Anon: Swinging dinner parties in Chiswick are all the rage. Just as long as you don't end up with Bill Bailey.

Anonymous said...

What, good ol' fashioned shagging your way to the top doesn't work in PR anymore?

Only if you blog about it afterwards