POSTED BY Kerry Ruffle

I studied English and Linguistics at Nottingham Trent University and my time at university is something I will never forget. Although cliché, I had an excellent time – growing both academically and personally throughout the three years. Although these subjects are certainly not a prerequisite for a career in PR, it does equip you with transferable skills which are key to being successful.

The inevitable question people ask when you tell them you’re studying for a degree in English and Linguistics is: ‘So, are you going to be a teacher?’

In 1930, economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that by now, we would only be working 15 hours per week. Though, Keynes never said what we would do with all that leisure time. He was an aristocrat, he would probably want us to write poetry, dance and play the violin. Keynes once said “My only regret in life is that I didn’t drink more champagne”.

There’s no perception you should be more aware of than your own. All it takes is Googling a name to get an insight into your character or about seven seconds on average in person before someone has summed up a judgement of your character. Having joined BlueSky PR this week it’s fair to say making a strong first impression has been something of a priority, as it would be for any new starter! These three tips are yet to fail me when in the pursuit of creating a positive perception: Awareness of Your Online Image Have you ever Googled yourself? If not then you should probably open a new tab and do that now, it really is that essential! It’s now a given that your potential employers may do some online research to find out aspects of your life that your CV may not discuss. This doesn’t have to be a negative thing, in fact there’s a great opportunity to use this to your advantage. For example my LinkedIn profile is currently being used and abused to showcase any past activities that may be of interest in a professional context. I have a First Class Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree, just over a year’s worth of experience in the communications field and also work with a charity supporting women in male-dominated industries. These are aspects of my life I’ve made a point of being visible online to help shape a positive perception.

Last week my sister, who is still a student, walked into an interview room for a summer job – she was completely terrified. She rang me up to say she had got the role. It came as a surprise – I could hear it in her voice, as she said she could not answer some of the questions that had been posed. I guess we all have moments of self-doubt and perhaps the younger and less experienced we are the more we feel the stress of a job interview. But sometimes we’re good! And we should own it! Perhaps all job interviews are just as important but the real clincher is the first interview into your future career. The job you dream of doing and becoming exceptionally good at. You want to get that one right, leave an impression and make sure you get the call with an offer. I have read numerous blog posts claiming that the majority of first interviews are unsuccessful for various reasons. So I was also curious to find out how the first job interviews went for the amazing people I share an office with, and what advice they would give to someone attending their first interview. Tracey Barrett ‘’ My first job interview was for Bejam, the frozen food retailer (now Iceland), as a management trainee in 1983. The interviewer asked me to sell them the ashtray sitting on the desk (yes you could smoke in the office in those days). I threw it out of the window and said “You haven’t got an ashtray have you?” I got the job! ‘’ Ian Hawkings ‘’ My first proper job interview was for a well-known recruitment firm- they did a standard interview for about 30 mins and then took me onto the sales floor, gave me a bunch of CVs and made me cold-call candidates….while they watched and listened. It was terrifying. ’’ Kerry Gill ‘’ The most entertaining story I could tell you about would be from one of my first interviews after graduating. I’d applied for a position advertised as a “Content Writer” at a local newspaper. After submitting my CV, a cover letter and a few examples of my work, I was invited for an interview at the office. When I turned up, I realised the office was two rooms above a pub on the high street… not a very encouraging start! When I walked inside, the place was in complete disarray. The walls looked grubby, some of the ceiling tiles were missing, it didn’t smell great and there was stuff everywhere. The staff were all my age and paid me no attention at all when I arrived. When finally someone did notice me I introduced myself and said I was there for an interview. After a few blank looks the girl gave me a scrap of paper (ripped from another person’s CV) to write my mobile number on as the boss wasn’t there. She told me to come back later, not giving a specific time. ‘’ Foolishly, I did go back. I actually met the boss this time. He guided me into his office (a small room with bare walls, a disproportionately large desk, a chair and a small plastic coffee table strewn with books) sat down and proceeded to tell me that I was going to flog ad space over the phone for unheard of local newspapers all around the Midlands. Cold calling for minimum wage, with an unpaid trial period to “test my abilities”. Needless to say I turned down the job offer when it came two weeks later! '' Stephanie Mullins’ first real interview was similar to mine; we both interviewed for the company we work for now. We both have some good stories to tell but perhaps some other time. For all it’s worth, I would advise you to expect something different in your interview – I sure didn’t and it took me by surprise. When Adrian Barrett interviewed me, one of the questions was: ‘’what country had lost a war but came out of it wealthier than when it joined?’’ My reaction: straight face. My answer: ‘’In all honesty, warfare is not one of my strongest points.’’ (By this time I was wondering whether I was still being interviewed for a PR role). But I was able to mention some of the ongoing wars and I proved that I had some knowledge of the war related news stories. I understand the role of that question now.

I am not a career adviser and whilst I cannot tell you what to do, I can tell you what I did and how it worked. I am writing this blog for undergraduates from all backgrounds who might need an inspirational speech or some guidance. Here are three ways to get the most out of your university years and potentially the great job you want. Network. A lot I think I spoke with more people during my university years than I have spoken with in my entire life. For real. Being at university is a great opportunity to meet people (d’oh). But just think about it! Not only have you got your peers (who one day might be influential) but you also have the academic staff, non-academic staff, and external speakers at various events. Interact with as many people as you can without being judgemental – the son of one of the cleaners at my university gave me an internship. I met my best friend by making small chat at the cafeteria and I have this great job today because everyone knew I was looking for one. It’s great to have a network but you have to know how to use it too! So, if you are offering something or are looking for something, make sure everyone knows it! You’d be surprised how fast the word gets around. Be the best you can