Poacher-turned-gamekeeper? Or the other way round, perhaps? There are many ways to become a press officer but one of the most common is after working as a journalist. You’d know the kind of questions you’d have to field from persistent hacks. Another is from work in public relations.

First you’ll have to learn a new language. “The firm’s gone bust. We’re sacking everyone” is now “We have an opportunity to restructure”; “The new boss will have an impossible task” translates as “He enjoys new challenges”. Press officers work in many organisations. If you don’t fancy a life spent in damage limitation — caused by financial scandals or celebs’ behaviour — you can work for public sector institutions, voluntary organisations, charities or in industry.

Michael Howes works at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where his role is a combination of the proactive — building up relationships with journalists and sending information to explain what the Government is doing — and reactive, in response to questions. “I handled calls during the foot-and-mouth outbreak when the phone never stopped. I was seconded to No 10 during the Iraq war and have been to Sri Lanka to help embassy staff deal with the media after the tsunami.” Government press officers are part of the Government Communications Network and can work for any department. Howes’ career took off after work experience in a government office while a journalism student.

Hannah Love used the PR route. A Leeds University geography graduate, she had worked in the university’s press office “to earn some cash — but as a bonus I began to learn the ropes”. After time in a technical public relations company she is now Leeds University’s press officer. She handles everything from finding an expert on Sudan 1 to giving interviews explaining how the university protected students during a mumps outbreak. When the White Paper announcing top-up fees came out, national television wanted to film at Leeds. Love helped to organise that.

Starting salaries can be modest — £15,000, but you could eventually earn more than £100,000.

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