Carlie Wittred’s advice to anyone thinking about entering the PR industry:

Make time for curiosity - Contrary to popular opinion, curiosity doesn’t kill the cat (in my opinion). In fact, since the mind is a muscle, curiosity makes it stronger. Practice asking ‘why’, create space for research and reflection, and be open to the opinions of others. This continual exercise makes your mind observant of new ideas and broaden your thinking and creativity - all of which are so important in PR.

Absorb the world around you - Every PR agency I’ve ever met and worked in, talks about creating campaigns that speak to culture. Achieving this is impossible if you don’t know what’s going on in the world. Read the news, watch the TV, take a walk, engage with social media – discovering the world around you will only help you identify opportunities in your role.

Operate with integrity - ‘Spin doctors’ is a common misconception of the industry, when actually integrity and ethics are fundamental to PR. PR is about sharing carefully crafted information with the world to drive trust and build relationships, so it must revolve around honesty.