Explore: Education

Communications Officer
Gateway Academy

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	Alison King – The Gateway Academy
00:00	My name is Alison King. I work for the Gateway Academy and my job title is GLC communications officer.
00:06	GLC stands for the Gateway learning community, which is an umbrella of schools with the Gateway Academy and then four primary schools underneath it. That’s the Gateway Primary Free school, Herringham Primary Academy, Lansdowne Primary Academy and Pioneer as well.
00:24	What I do in my job role is I look after all of the websites for the whole of the GLC. All the press releases, photography. Photography in school, individual photographs for the students as well as panoramic photographs as well. We have year 7 and year 11, we have a panoramic photograph, so they’ve got something, a memento for the students to keep, for their parents as well obviously.
00:53	My first job was in London, on the Foreign Exchange Markets. I initially wanted to be a jockey when I was in year 10, year 11 at school, suddenly had a massive change of idea and went straight to London rather than college or university, so went straight into the Foreign Exchange Markets. But when I was at school I also learnt how to type, so I had that as a back up you know if wanted to secretarial work, which then progressed on to secretary to the Director of the Company.
01:25	I was looking for something in London, anything really, anything just to get me up there and get into an office and a vibrant American Bank it just seemed really exciting and it was. And it was just a family member, just, you know said, he was older than me, he was actually a trader for a different bank, he said oh I know there’s a job going at this one so fancy coming up here and saying hello to them and that was it really.
01:54	And then I had my children and I was at home full time with my children until they went to school and then I decided to get back into work, you know I didn’t want to be at home while they were at school so I still wanted to do something. So, I started work at a Primary School as a clerk to the Governors. A family member had a hobby of motor racing and the supplier of this motorbike wanted to have a racing championship in this country so they persuaded myself and this family member to start up a racing championship. A lot of people were quite sceptical, they wondered why I would, you know, want to do this and indeed whether I would be successful but over the years having the championship for 5 years and it was the largest in this country I think that showed everybody that anybody can do anything as long as you put your mind to it.
02:54	Even if you’re going into a so-called “males” world as long as you enjoy it and you really want to do it, you’ll succeed. And then, you know 5 years I thought that was plenty of time and moved on to working back in schools again.
03:09	I’ve done a lot of different things, but normally one thing’s led into the other so it’s good to meet people, good to network and often that leads on to you other jobs in different organisations. Networking I think is key for anything like that.
03:26	The main things that I’ve noticed throughout all of the jobs, activities I’ve taken part in over the years, the underlying factor in all of them was organisation, attention to detail and that’s taken me all the way through to where I am now. Also having a passion for what you want, what you do is one of the most important things really in any job, you really need to enjoy it and I really do.
03:52	End

“Normally one thing’s led into the other so it’s good to meet people, good to network.” Allison now looks after the websites for a group of schools. She’s enjoyed a varied career, from working at London’s Foreign Exchange Markets to setting up a motor racing championship, but all her jobs have required good organisation skills.

More information about Public relations professionals

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£40,040

average salary

The UK average salary is £29,813

average weekly hours

There are 37.5 hours in the average working week

37% male

63% female

The UK workforce is 47% female and 53% male

Future employment

Future employment?

Description

? Public relations professionals plan, organise and co-ordinate the activities that promote the image and understanding of an organisation and its products or services to consumers, businesses, members of the public and other specified audiences.

Qualifications

Most entrants possess A levels/H grades and a degree or equivalent qualification. Further professional qualifications are available.

Tasks

Discusses issues of business strategy, products, services and target client base with senior colleagues to identify public relations requirements;
Writes, edits and arranges for the effective distribution of press releases, newsletters and other public relations material;
Addresses individuals, clients and other target groups through meetings, presentations, the media and other events to enhance the public image of an organisation;
Develops and implements tools to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of public relations exercises.

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