Hacking my way into PR career

It could hardly be more different: moving from a huge and noisy newsroom to a company with a full-time staff of two.

The culture shock is starting to wear off as I find my feet in the world of PR after five years as a journalist. So why did I make the move?

The answer is I have always been fascinated with the media industry and wanted a new challenge creating the news rather than reporting on it.

I enjoy writing, have a good knowledge of how newspapers work and am long used to being on the receiving end of PR material.

And working for a small agency like Octopus means I can really get stuck in, make a difference and learn the ropes quickly.

Although getting to grips with new computer systems, more admin and all the different aspects to the job has been a steep learning curve, it's proving a rewarding challenge.

Seeing my first press release appear in the paper gave me a lot of satisfaction and has spurred me on to achieve bigger and better coverage.

I am also really looking forward to building up a relationship with clients and producing results- and know I will be doing a good job when I bring in new business.

There are lots of things I have to do, and there is a sense of being thrown in at the deep end, but that is the best way to learn.

And it's great working with such a close-knit team who are passing on their enthusiasm and knowledge for the industry.

As Paul, my boss, told me when I started:  “My job is to turn you from a hack into a PR.”

There are lots more aspects to the job that I thought but every day brings something different and I am starting to see the media industry from another perspective.

I feel I have found a career where I can really make my mark- and have lots of fun at the same time.