A Public Relations Podcast: Smoke Signal Episode 4 – Continuing Education

Smoke Signal, A Public Relations Podcast

At its core, public relations is a set of vocational skills that can best be learnt by doing, that is the view of Sarah Mason who shares with us the mission of HSPR in helping improve the professional standards of the PR industry.

HSPR is the only Registered Training Organisation dedicated to the PR sector and helps deliver professional development to emerging practitioners, career progressors, senior executives and career changes who may be coming to PR for the first time later in life.

Sarah has a clear passion for the professionalisation of the PR sector which she believes will help attract a more diverse workforce, new ideas, new thinking, new perspectives and help keep good practitioners in the industry longer by supporting them to do great work.

In this discussion we touch on:

What makes a good grad: It is all about attitude and a willingness to keep learning

How to teach ethics: It’s common sense – do as you would be done by and be true to yourself

Skills that as an industry that we need to get better at: Creative thinking is our industry’s currency. Creativity is really the only thing that can differentiate us

Diversity: We need to step out of our echo chamber and build a deeper understanding of our audience we are speaking to

Digital and social: Our skillset remains the same just broadening opportunity to engage directly with stakeholders

You can find our more about HSPR and its courses here and follow Sarah Mason on LinkedIn

And do you believe PR is a Bullshit Job?

In the news this episode I look at a new book by David Graeber, an anthropology professor at the London School of Economics, who says over half of all jobs today – including PR – are BS jobs.