Careers in PR rarely follow a straight line. For this year’s National Careers Week, we asked members of the Pier team one simple question: how did you get here, and what helped you along the way? Their answers reveal three common threads: curiosity, resilience, and learning from the people around you.
There’s no single path into PR
For some of us, the path into PR started early (or is just beginning). For others, it emerged gradually through different interests and experiences.
Amy Bendall, Managing Director
A careers advisor in sixth form said I could be good at PR. Work experience, PR degree and 20 years, later here I am. What helped me most along the way? Who, not what. I’ve learned something from every boss, at every stage – even the ones I didn’t like!
Sian Maguire, Senior Account Executive
I joined Pier in 2024 as an account manager, after building up my experience in events and communications agencies following my graduation from university in 2019. Perseverance has been key, continuing to try even when things didn’t go as planned. I’ve also been fortunate to have a strong support network around me, encouraging me at every stage and celebrating each achievement and new opportunity along the way.
Francesca Mann, Account Assistant
I’ve always had a fascination with people, relationships, and connections – going on to study Sociology at university to further this. I went into my degree with no idea what I wanted to do as a career. Only in my final year of education, I decided to pursue PR. Drawn to the mix of research, strategy, and creativity but most importantly the fact that no two days look the same.
What helped me most along the way? Perseverance. Getting that first graduate job can feel impossible – a million miles away and completely out of reach. There were defiantly moments where I felt like it was never going to happen. However, I kept at it, learning more with every application and always trusting my worth. Owning your own future doesn’t have to mean you have it all figured out from day one. For me, it simply meant deciding what I wanted to do and not stopping until I had achieved it.
Learning by doing
Many careers are not simply built through education, but require experimentation, determination and most importantly the confidence to take on opportunities whenever they appear.
Steph Clark, Head of Renewables
I always knew the direction I wanted to go in and that I had a basic ability. The challenge was proving it to others. I did that by hard graft and learning the craft. Through education, hands-on experience, and a good deal of common sense. And one thing I’ve learned, never pass up on an introduction. Opportunities often start there.
What helped me most along the way? Understanding value has helped me. Careers can be a bumpy ride, so I ask, what does this choice give me? What difference do I make? How am I helping the team? I often trust my instinct, then sense-check it with someone I respect. And I try not to sweat mistakes, learn and move on.
Laura Monteath, Account Manager
I went to university to study PR because I’d always been curious about media, stories and how people connect. I graduated at a pretty unusual moment, right in the middle of a global pandemic, when job opportunities suddenly felt very far away. Instead of pressing pause, I decided to start my own freelance PR work so I could keep learning, experimenting and building confidence when everything felt uncertain. Looking back, that scary leap made a huge difference. It helped me find my voice, trust myself, and shaped the path that’s brought me to where I am today.
Being open to learning made the biggest difference for me. I tried to listen carefully to everyone I could and not be afraid to ask them questions – no matter how silly they may have seemed. Every conversation, piece of advice, and mistake helped form part of my growth, and that really shaped my confidence over time.
Career paths don’t need to be linear
One key lesson appears again and again – you don’t need to have everything figured out straight away!
Lisa Smith, Operations Lead
How did I get here? By trying lots of different things and learning many transferrable skills. What helped me most along the way? Remembering that you don’t have to decide what you want to do forever, just what you want to try next!
The commonality across every story here at Pier is that careers grow through experience, relationships and perseverance. Whether you discover PR through education, curiosity, or by trying something new, the most important step is always simply starting.
To find out more about Pier see our News & Insights here.
