THE Fleet Street school of journalism, with its long boozy lunches and daily offers of expensive enticements from media-hungry companies, is so far in the past that it’s become an urban myth.

Today’s financial media are professional graduates with finance, economics and business degrees — and an extra layer of skin or two. This job is not for the fainthearted.

The range of jobs is huge and includes the nationals, specialist professional press, public relations (in-house for City institutions or with a PR firm), TV and radio. Above all you need to be an enthusiastic, skilled and confident communicator. There’s absolutely no room for error in press articles, broadcasts or press releases, where a blunder could be catastrophic and deeply embarrassing, not to mention expensive.

The money varies, but typically starts at about £21,000 for PR, rising to £25,000-£31,000 at the upper end of the market, according to Sarah Leembruggen, managing partner at The Works, a PR recruitment company. “Employers look for graduates of the highest calibre, with a minimum 2:1. A postgraduate diploma in PR or journalism is a bonus,” she says.

To impress prospective employers, you must be able to demonstrate a keen commercial awareness, a thirst for current affairs and be able to talk confidently about complex financial and economic issues. “Languages are useful for all media, as are strong writing skills. In PR being creative with ideas and concepts is key,” Leembruggen says. “Like most City jobs commitment is vital — financial PR is a lifestyle, not just a job.”

PR — referred to by journalists as “the dark side” — is far tougher and technical in the financial sector than elsewhere, according to Danny Rogers, the editor of PR Week ( www.prweek. com/uk). “A big part of the job is client handling, so you need to be very confident and socially assured,” he says. “You also need high levels of energy and to be prepared to work long hours, including weekends, when you are doing the PR for a big corporate action like a merger or acquisition, or a launch on the Stock Exchange.” Rogers knows of a PR team that even had to work on Christmas Day.

Movement between journalism and PR is common. A graduate who joined a major financial PR firm says, “I started out as a journalist and had seen only the public face of PR — all smiles and charm. Behind the scenes it’s tougher than journalism because you have to meet so many different client expectations and if we’re working on a big launch, it’s pizzas in the office at midnight every day for a week.” Top graduates in journalism usually start out on a graduate trainee scheme with a national newspaper such as the The Times, Financial Times or The Economist. Financial news agencies such as Reuters and Bloomberg are also ideal for the right candidates. It’s also possible to move from a job in the City into the media, so if your first few years as an accountant, lawyer or banker have left you underwhelmed, this might be a more fulfilling role for you.

One graduate who joined the Financial Times says that the job is hectic and constantly changing. “We need to be prepared to get to grips with all business sectors, from leisure to mining, from what’s happening in the City to the problems facing the Shanghai stock exchange. The hours can be long and if you make a mistake it’s terrifying — you can move share prices with a single slip.” Debbie Harrison is a senior visiting Fellow of the Pensions Institute at Cass Business School. This is the final article in the series. If you wish to read the previous articles go to www.cass.city.ac.uk/thetimes.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS LIFE in the City really that hard or are the long hours and stress more than compensated for by high salaries and bonuses? In our Working in the City series, Debbie Harrison has been finding out what it’s really like working in the Square Mile. Whether you are already working in the City or are a graduate looking for career advice, we want to hear from you. Debate the issue with our panel of experts: Polly Courtney, the author of Golden Handcuffs Hugh Karseras, a director in a City bank and the author of From New Recruit to High Flyer ( see page 6) Clare Harris, head of graduate recruitment at Lovells, a law firm Debbie Harrison, series author E-mail your questions to career@thetimes.co.uk

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