Some graduates know exactly what career path to take. 

If they studied nursing, one could presume it's obvious what field to enter.

Others, like Clara Vazquez, account executive at games industry agency Raptor PR, find their degree can be applied to multiple avenues. 

After graduating from Durham University in 2023, Vazquez pondered her options.

“I had a lot of things I knew I loved doing,” explains Vazquez, who knew she loved telling stories and working creatively.  

Indeed, a job in PR was on her list, but the English literature grad was about to write an email that would change everything. 

Playing the long game

“I always knew I wanted to give PR a go, but it felt like a very big world out there with lots of niches and different jobs.

“I was able to do a couple of internships in different sectors, which was really insightful. I got to understand the day-to-day tasks, how things work and talk to people who are quite senior in PR.”

The internships — at The Beautiful Truth and ICR Consilium — made her certain that PR was for her.

Yet, she did not rush.

“It must have been about a year of internships, applying for jobs, understanding where I fit in, what I would enjoy, and what employers would want.”

During one of her internships, Vazquez was offered advice that eventually saw her join the Raptor PR team.

“I was told that it's very important to not just apply to roles that are listed online, because they get thousands of applicants. 

"[They said to] email companies that I would be interested in out of the blue as they may not have a listing, or the time to be looking constantly. 

"I did it. I thought it was crazy [but] it landed me this job.

“I got an interview from a random email I sent [to Raptor], saying that I really liked the work it did, and that I’d love to have a chat.

“I think my experience from internships gave me the core experience needed to start as a junior account executive.”

No cheat codes

Vazquez entered the world of tech PR with Raptor in 2024. 

She recalls enjoying her work and meeting the team immensely, but that a sudden drop in confidence presented challenges.

“I am a gamer and I do know about tech, but it's still an industry I've never worked in. There’s that element of [not having sector knowledge].”

“I [felt like] I didn't know anything. I did, I just wasn't confident in myself.”

She explains that during those first few days, juggling her need to do well by impressing clients and her new team made “simple things” like taking meeting notes stressful.

“I felt confident in many ways, but then when I was put into this role with real responsibility, I realised I wasn't an intern anymore.

“I was trying to get to grips with that, and then you quickly realise the team is supportive and not there to catch you out.

“Luckily I was being shown the ropes by my colleague who had already done my role and knew how I was feeling.”

Vazquez smiles, and adds: "I definitely don't feel like that anymore. I've become more confident, I know that I can do it, and I put myself forward every day.

“The whole team was accessible to me, so no one was off limits and I could ask anyone a question.

“If I felt out of my depth or like there was something I needed to be caught up on, I was made to feel like I could ask about that at any time.

"And that it was perfectly normal. They welcomed it, which helped. I felt supported.”

Level up 

Vazquez, who was recently promoted to account executive, advises other graduates looking to break into PR, or just starting out to “say yes to everything”.

“You can think about the specifics [of the role you want] once you've got more experience. 

"You won't know what direction to take [without experience] because you’ll only be limited to what you think you enjoy.

“It got me out of that mindset of just going into Arts PR, and led me to find something I never knew existed and didn’t expect to enjoy so much.

“I'm quite happy with all the different things I'm learning about now, but there’s still so much I don't know, and so much I want to learn. I want to just keep learning, and I'm very excited about what's next.”