Becca W.
About me
| Becca W. | |
| Politics, Economics and Philosophy | |
| Philosophy and Politics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| James | |
| 2011 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Public Affairs Manager | |
| Ferrero UK and Ireland | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Engineering and manufacturing / Politics and public affairs | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2016 | |
| 2011 |
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A day in the life of a Public Affairs Manager in the United Kingdom
My role involves engaging with government on policy issues
My career history
After graduating, I did an internship with a small charity, in the press and public affairs team, organising events for the political party conference season. After this, I was on a year's contract at another charity in the press office. I decided I wanted more commercial experience and to focus on political communication, so I looked for a role with a public affairs agency. I stayed at my agency for four years, receiving three successive promotions, and eventually running my own sector with a supporting team.
My advice to students considering work
Take every opportunity you can. Not everyone can intern in their desired industry while unpaid internships are so prevalent, but there's no reason you can't develop your writing and communication skills through writing a blog for example. Think about what online work could complement your CV.
My advice about working in my industry
Public affairs is long hours, can be repetitive in some of the tasks you will be doing in your early stages, but you need to be prepared to learn about the parliamentary process. Be genuinely interested in politics and the dynamics behind decision making; if you wouldn't read the newspapers in your spare time, a career in public affairs isn't for you.
What I do
I manage government relations and corporate communications for a large multinational FMCG business. I am responsible for engaging with government on policy issues that affect the business and crafting communications strategies around these issues. I also work with brand teams to ensure brand activity is consistent with corporate messaging. I previously spent 4 years in a public affairs agency, specialising in education and skills policy.
What I like most
The variety - the political environment is so febrile that government relations now sits at the heart of business planning - it affects license to operate. As a result, I work on a huge range of issues and I have the ability to present my work to very senior members of the UK leadership team.
What I like least
I travel a lot for work, which can make it difficult to get time to devote to doing my day job! You learn to work on trains and planes as effectively as you can, but it can be tiring.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Becca’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Becca a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Becca to be your mentor.