2015 PR Graduate Schemes

Here is the eagerly anticipated list of PR graduate schemes which begin in 2015.

Despite most university semesters commencing in September or October, the reality is that the deadline for many schemes is already fast-approaching (the majority close throughout January 2015). Crucially, this means two things for students.

A) Now is the time to start on your application. I don’t just mean the application form itself, but start learning about burning industry issues, researching the agency and its clients, as well as critically evaluating successful case studies and preparing for what you’ll say at the interview. And remember, the PR industry values novelty and creativity highly — among the many 2:1s and similar sounding application forms, think how you can best stand out.

B) If you don’t yet have any agency experience, try and get some fixed up over the Christmas break. Not having extensive agency experience (I had just one month under my belt) by the time I graduated was a big regret, and a stumbling block earlier in my career, but part of me is also grateful — it forced me to get creative.

More generally, the number of schemes reflects that the economy is on the up, especially in London, where unsurprisingly all of the large, international PR agencies (and their graduate schemes) are located. While this post always generates the most pageviews, comments and interest on SWT, I would also caution against getting too hung up on graduate schemes.

I would instead advise you to weigh up all your options, and look for a role that is hands-on with plenty of opportunities to learn and with good people to learn from. Most graduate schemes have this, but so too, do many entry-level roles. It’s about finding the right company and the right fit for you.

Some of the schemes are not yet open, but i’ll be updating this list as and when I get the chance. If you’re an agency or organisation with a PR grad scheme, please drop me a line and i’ll gladly add you to the list.

UPDATED 14 JANUARY 2015

Babel
Open
Closes: 27 February 2015

Bell Pottinger
Open
Closes: 30 January 2015

Blue Rubicon
Open
Closes: 31 January 2015

Burson-Marsteller
Does not run a PR graduate scheme, but is open for internships all year round, many of which lead to permanent roles.

Chime Comms
Closed

Diffusion
Open
Closes: 2 February 2015

Edelman
Open
Closes: 15 January 2015

Fleishman-Hillard
Open
Closes: 27 February 2015

Four Communications
Closed

Headland Consultancy
Closed

Hotwire Group
Open:
Closing dates throughout the year

Ketchum Pleon
Closed

Lexis
Open
Closes: 27 February 2015

MHP Communications
Closed

Text100
Open
Closes: 27 February 2015

Weber Shandwick
Open
Closes: 30 January 2015

Please feel free to publish this list elsewhere, but if you do, I’d really appreciate it if you could link back to this page. And before you start researching and applying for a PR graduate scheme, you may find the following posts come in useful:

• The Rise of Two Tier PR
• Change is Coming: PR Practice & the Next Decade
• 10 Reasons We Must Leave AVE Behind Now
• So You Want to Work in PR? Here’s My Top 10 Tips
• 10 Tips to Boost Your Personal SEO

Good luck everyone!