Tips for Students
Practice of Public Relations in New Zealand
Public relations have been practiced in New Zealand since the first people arrived in the country. Early Māori had strong protocols (kawa) for relating to one another and to visitors, persuasive speech making skills (whaikorero), stakeholder relationship management (manakitangi), internal communication, event management, government relations, and so on.
The profession of public relations did not formalise until 1954 when the first public relations firm was organised in Auckland.
PRINZ helps potential clients and employers of public relations practitioners by identifying the professional nature of an individual's involvement in public relations and adherence to a strict PRINZ Code of Ethics. A guide to New Zealand consultancies is available to organisations seeking public relations services. Members who attain full accredited membership status are full time practitioners whose ability and experience has been endorsed by their peers.
Membership of PRINZ provides regular contact with other public relations people at luncheons, workshops and social gatherings. Each branch has its own programme and is firmly committed to providing members with opportunities to interact with other practitioners.
New Zealand's public relations executives are drawn from a wide variety of disciplines. Journalism, advertising and marketing are common, but legal, financial, research and commercial backgrounds are becoming more frequent. The fastest growing source of practitioners is however from the tertiary education sector. This reflects a considerable broadening of the role and responsibilities of the public relations executive from the traditional journalistic base. The common denominator is a sound knowledge and understanding of the media, communication techniques and business affairs.
PRINZ's paid up membership (1300 members at March 2009) comprises public relations professionals working in commerce and industry, consultancies, local and central government and other community or business organisations.
To check out current Public Relations and Communications Management Vacancies, follow the link below:
Interview Cheat Sheet
- Do your homework - look at their website, find out who their clients are, key industry focus, major services and review the company's history
- Ask questions - based upon your research, devise a few intelligent, challenging questions relevant to the role that will demonstrate your interest. For example:
- What skills/characteristics are you looking for?
- What are your plans for the business?
- How do you differentiate your business versus your competitors?
- How would you describe the culture of your business?
- What are the key attributes of the people who succeed in your business?
- Could you tell me about the role? Who will I report to?
- Which skills will I have the opportunity to develop?
- What formal and on-the-job training is available?
- Provide scenarios and examples - throughout your interview highlight your previous experience. Remember, this is the best time to show how capable you are! This will also display your organisational skills; a key attribute needed to work in PR.
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