Joshua Callaghan

If you could change any one thing about the comms industry, what would it be?

I'd love for more employers and applicants to explore degree apprenticeships. The UK Government offers huge amounts of funding for people such as myself to earn a fully-fledged degree with no tuition fees to pay - while earning a salary in the process! When I explain this to friends or other professionals, I'm often met with surprised faces. In addition to more employers advertising vacant apprenticeship positions, I think young people should be made aware of the funding available for companies taking on apprentices, and be proactive in finding opportunities. For example, after completing a part-time internship, I secured a full-time role by introducing the apprenticeship scheme to Raptor PR. Apprenticeships can also be hugely valuable for talent retention. In my case, both the agency and I have committed to an apprenticeship for four years. There's a mutual agreement to develop myself professionally in the workspace over the coming years, as well as learning the academic theory. Being an apprentice often makes me one of the youngest people in the room, particularly at events. One of my proudest achievements happened at a games industry event last year. I was sitting down for lunch when two recognisable faces asked if the opposite chairs were empty. These individuals were two gaming content creators I'd been watching for several years - long before I started in the comms industry. I explained my journey into the PR/games industry and they applauded me on how far I had come as a 19-year-old. I'm not one to boast, but that made me feel like I was doing something right in my career. It sounds simple but trying out a client's product or service has helped me strengthen my client relationships. With the games industry specialism of the agency I work for, I have a lot of fun implementing this advice by playing our client's games or trying out tech demos! This helps me ideate new pitching angles and bring this knowledge to client meetings. I think it also helps to follow your personal hobbies and see what can be applied to client work. I'm a big fan of themed entertainment, so I've enjoyed reading articles about how IP is approached within the attraction industry. I've then used this knowledge to write content pieces about IP within the games industry - and, of course, finding ways to mention gaming-related theme park projects in the process!

What is the motto you live by?

"See a need, fill a need". Yes, it's a cheesy message from the 2005 animated film Robots, but it's also a piece of advice my dad encouraged me to live by growing up. In the context of PR, it's about actively looking for new tasks to complete, or offering new ideas on your own accord but I think it's generally good life advice, too!