Ah the steep learning curve of the fledgling PR career path; if you’re not doing a minimum of 10 things simultaneously (and brilliantly) at least 90% of the time, you’re really not trying hard enough.

Those of you who are regular and attentive readers to the blog will know that I am fairly new to this occupation. The eagle eyed among you may have spotted that I wrote a blog post back in the summer about being on work experience with Quest. Well, I am happy to say that I am now a bona fide member of the Quest team and a PR account executive in my own right!

Of course, now the hard work truly begins. In reality, having a foot in the door is only the beginning. Sometimes I sit in awe and listen to the rest of the team on the phone to various important people, and I wonder if I will ever sound so knowledgeable and self assured. I read journalists’ blogs about heinous and unforgivable PR faux pas, and pray that I will never constitute one of these posts. And every single piece of advice or information that comes my way I carefully file away, in the hope that it will make me better at my job.

As our freelancer, Sarah Hone pointed out in a previous post, the job of a PR is not as easy as many (so many) assume. The skill set necessary is enormous, not to mention the breadth of knowledge about the sectors in which your clients operate. For example, I am constantly astounded by how much the team at Quest seem to know about everything, not to mention the fact that they are able to produce myriad different, but equally impressive, pieces of copy for virtually every sort of publication you can think of; all without any apparent effort.

When you count the endless creativity, quick wittedness, diplomacy, and general dogged determination, which are the minimum requirements of success, you can’t help but be a little in awe of any thriving public relations professional.

In short, a good PR makes it look easy, (which, by the way, it definitely isn’t!).  I am just thinking that if I hang around long enough some of the Quest magic is bound to rub off on me…