University degree, possibly diverse internships as well as side jobs in the field of communication – how necessary is the start as a PR Trainee? This was the central question of the panel discussion at KommunikOS, the study initiative at Campus Lingen of the Hochschule Osnabrück.
The roadshow that was initiated by thePR Journalof the GPRA made its fourth stop in Lingen on the 11th of June. On the podium (Junior-) Consultants from Insignis, FAKTOR 3, Havas PR and ORCA van Loon Communications. GPRA president Christiane Schulz and Eike Dalhoff, chairman at KommunikOS completed the round. Thomas Dillmann, chief editor of the "PR-Journal", moderated the event.
PR Trainee: Safety net and valuable learnings
All agency representatives agreed that as PR trainees they could gain valuable experiences that were missing in previous positions. This included first customer contact, dealing with sensitive communication topics and tasks, but also the reassuring certainty of still enjoying a certain "puppy protection". In addition, the speakers were able to answer all the questions regarding of what makes a good advisor and how to find the most fitting agency for oneself.
The desire for flexibility
Eike Dalhoff from KommunikOS first and foremost demanded flexibility: The individual abilities of an applicant should be taken into account more. Ideally, employees and applicants would have to negotiate the career entry individually. Schulz emphasised that in addition to joining the company as a PR trainee, there are also the possibilities of a dual course of study or, if qualified, a direct entry.
The final piece of advice for the next generation? Show courage and humility. Because a traineeship also represents a high investment on the part of the agency.
From left to right: Eike Dalhoff, Felix Ebeling, Thomas Dillmann, Lena Höltkemeier, Carina Bogus, Martin Bennung and Christiane Schulz were discussing on the podium.
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