Press Officer Jobs in London
Press officers are employed by a range of London-based organisations and tasked with promoting a good image of their employers in the media and building excellent media relations and coverage.
Press officers are employed by a range of London-based organisations and tasked with promoting a good image of their employers in the media and building excellent media relations and coverage.
Daily responsibilities may include, but are by no means limited to, answering enquiries from journalists, writing and editing press releases, attending press conferences, developing a press contacts database, and monitoring media coverage.
Professional and Academic Requirements
Though there are no fixed academic or professional requirements for a job as a press or communications officer, most employers in London will expect candidates to be educated to degree level, and preferably in a subject related to the field, such as journalism, media relations or public relations.
Additionally, specific roles may call for more specific qualifications, with health charities likely to ask for some proof of scientific knowledge, for example, or big City firms likely to favour candidates trained in business or economics.
Furthermore, a qualification in a second, or even a third, language, is also likely to be looked upon favourably, and may even be essential for roles in international organisations.
Personal Attributes
Press officer jobs are not for shrinking violets. As well as reacting to enquiries from the press, professionals in this field are also tasked with proactively pitching stories to a range of media organisations, meaning an outgoing and enthusiastic nature is essential.
Other personal qualities likely to come in useful in a press officer job include a keen attention to detail, the ability to work well under pressure and to tight deadlines, the ability to cope with knockbacks and a flexible and committed approach to the work in question.
Potential Rewards
Starting salaries in the field, even for those holding press officer jobs in London, are not great, with graduates unlikely to earn in excess of £20,000 for their first job. That said, communications officers within big firms, charities or public sector bodies can command good salaries, particularly if they are able to win a promotion to a position such as editor or communications manager.
In addition, this line of work can also be personally rewarding, with professionals with a passion for international development likely to get great satisfaction from knowing that they are helping raise awareness of their charity's work, for example.
Possible Drawbacks
Aside from the unremarkable pay packets, work as a press officer can have its drawbacks. The role can be pressured, particularly when there are tough deadlines involved, and getting knockbacks from the press can be hard to deal with.
Furthermore, some employers may also ask their press officers to be available outside of office hours, so the work mobile could ring at any moment.
Biggest Employers
A wide range of organisations right across London employ specialist press officers.
These include the central and local governments, charities and corporate firms, and basically any organisation whose work is likely to be of interest to the media.
Press officers can also work in a freelance capacity, whether as part of a PR firm handling the communications of clients, or as a one-person small business.
