The first time I met Robert Minton-Taylor in person was on 23rd January 2024. He was part of the four-man panel that listened to the pitch my group and several other groups made on an effective PR/Corporate Communication campaign for an alternative energy firm based in the US.
My team beat about 9 other teams to win the pitch.
Robert graciously offered my team and I nice and positive commendation. He also added that if he were on a recruitment drive for a PR role, he would offer me a job on the spot! As the most experienced PR professional on the panel, his remarks meant a lot to me.
As a PR manager with over a decade of experience in the field, hearing such a seasoned leader in the industry commend me profusely, validated me in ways I did not even know I needed.
When I had set out to obtain a master’s degree in Public Relations and Strategic Communications (MAPRSC), from LBU, some of my main objectives were:
- To learn from senior industry colleagues around the world
- To learn about latest trends and developments in the PR field
- To prepare for more senior roles and increase my earning potential.
So, that encounter with Robert had essentially ticked one of my main objectives.
Three months later, on one cold rainy evening (sidenote, it always rains in England :-)), I received an email from Rudiger Theilmann, our knowledgeable and equally amiable course leader. The email was to inform us that Robert would be giving a guest talk as part of our Comms Skills course. The event would be moderated by Sound, a fellow masters student in the PR course. I was excited, until I looked at the topic. The topic was “Everything you wanted to know about getting a job in PR but were too afraid to ask”. I groaned inwardly. The topic was not really for someone like me I thought. I had spent 15 years working in Corporate Communications for different organisations ranging from financial services to energy to food and beverage manufacturers. I was not just some fresher out of Uni trying to land their first PR job. On the contrary, I had recruited some new entrants into their first PR jobs. I looked again at my screen, I wanted to hear Robert and Rudiger speak but the topic was not well suited for me at this stage in my career. How would such a session really benefit me? I decided to go anyway. No knowledge is wasted, I reasoned. Besides, what did I have to lose?
I am so glad I attended as the event truly turned out to be rewarding. The session was attended by fellow students in my master’s programme: all of us at different points in our PR career. Some just starting out, some with few years of experience and others with over a decade of experience in the sector. Robert shared with us highlights of his career; how he had started out as a journalist and later working as a publicist for some notable personalities, working for an agency and for different organisations and in recent times, serving as a volunteer with various organisations and as a visiting fellow teaching in Leeds Beckett University. He also shared how the industry had evolved over the years and how it has continued to gain prominence and influence with C-suite execs/Business Leaders.
Robert also helped us see first-hand how fun & diverse the PR industry could be. You could work in any industry, organisation and in any country. The key to having a successful career as a PR manager according to Robert was passion, great enthusiasm, having people skills and a willingness to keep learning.
To emphasise the importance of diversity in the sector, he shared with us a story of when he had to rely on local expertise to land an international campaign successfully. The lesson? Never make assumptions about any culture or country, rely on local experts and be willing to adapt your campaign to suit the realities at hand.
In all, it was a great session and this second meeting with Robert Minton-Taylor, helped me to learn an invaluable lesson: Being a PR manager means being open-minded and a willingness to be a lifelong learner.