second day I covered the Radio One Roadshow at Cleethorpes!
“On qualifying as a Senior Reporter, I worked at the Sheffield Star and Barnsley Star before becoming Chief Reporter, running the Wakefield office of the Yorkshire Post.”
THE PUBLIC RELATIONS MD
“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” The Forrrest Gump quote has been applied to many a scenario in the last 20 years (yes, it came out that long ago!), but in this instance, Kathy Wilkinson is talking about her experience of working in the flooring industry. “Soft centres or hard, in your working life you have to get on with and work with various types of personalities,” she explains. “Co- operation, rather than confrontation, achieves results and is the way forward.”
Kathy is the Managing Director of Wilkinson PR, which she set up nine years ago. Though her current position is in public relations, it’s a background in journalism that got her to where she is now.
“Having left the Sheffield High School for Girls with 10 O Levels and three A Levels, I completed the one-year NCTJ Journalism course at the city’s Richmond College of Further Education.”
The vocational course covered practical topics like Newspaper Practice, Law and Shorthand, and her illustrious ‘Old Boy’ is Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson, who also studied the same course there, albeit a couple of years before she did.
It was an education that set her in good stead for her climb up the career ladder. “My first job was a Junior Reporter on the Grimsby Evening Telegraph. It was a challenge – on my
07
Kathy made the move to public relations in the early 1990s, with various in-house and agency roles, before setting up her own company in 2005. A typical week for the Managing Director nowadays might consist of a day travelling to client meetings or simply getting on with the job of writing news releases and articles, liaising with publications and keeping on top of admin. In regards to the most important parts of the job, “Being organised,” Kathy says, “and not being afraid of long hours – are essential requirements.”
She cites becoming her own boss as a massive achievement: “It fulfilled a long-held dream to work for myself. After all, if you don’t try it, you’ll never know. It takes courage, determination and resourcefulness, but for me it is a tremendously satisfying and flexible way of working, as well as opening up new sectors and opportunities. You never stop learning.
“Yes, it can be long hours – and the idea of longer breaks when you’re self- employed is a bit of myth. My laptop often holidays with me, so I can be contacted if need be. Plus, keeping on top of emails has the advantage of reducing the workload when you get back! But I enjoy it immensely.”
So does she think she could ever work for someone else again in the future? “Although I have since completed several projects working for others, it would be difficult to go back. But I always believe in remaining open- minded about the future.”
Perhaps it’s the variety of work that Kathy has done up to this point that keeps her this way. From that very first job in Grimsby, where she covered a complete cross-section of subjects, “from Magistrates and Crown Courts, Parish and Town Councils to human interest and fishing industry stories,” she’s also written for women’s pages and on media relations topics like
beauty and personal care. “I’ve always enjoyed the stimulation and challenges presented by the sheer variety of industries, sectors and subjects that I’ve encountered throughout my career.”
The idea of longer breaks when you’re self-employed is a bit of myth!
She herself cites her background in journalism as having been invaluable to her life in public relations: “It’s a definite positive for PR in terms of writing and spelling capability, ability to quickly understand a diverse range of subjects and to work effectively to meet tight deadlines!
“As a journalist, you encounter many aspects of life and develop a ‘thicker skin’ that better equips you to deal with whatever the world throws at you. But as in any workplace, it’s experience, ability and enthusiasm to do the job that really counts. If you do a good job and do what the employer or client requires, I think it’s appreciated whatever the ‘ruling’ gender.”
ADVICE
What advice would you give to a young female starting out in a male- dominated industry?
Women in Flooring: Tomorrow's Flooring
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72
