“It's purely coincidental that I've gone from a degree in Ancient History to a company called The Romans,” Rupert Cole, senior account executive at The Romans jokes.

Despite being only three years into his PR career, Cole radiates a restrained confidence that gives one the feeling he could take any situation into his stride. And, upon learning how he entered the PR industry, it’s fair to say that Cole certainly put in the graft to practice his craft.

Cole graduated from The University Of Exeter with a BA in Ancient History in 2020, and watched his friends migrate to London, with “no real plan”.

But, while Cole didn’t have a career in PR as his main goal, he knew that his degree had given him an eclectic skillset; he just had to get his foot in the door.

A man with a plan

Hailing originally from Yorkshire, and with a humanities degree under his belt, Cole knew that he had a passion for writing. And, while he had no concrete plan, he certainly wasn’t going to embark on a Dickensian amble into the big city, armed with only the hope of making his fortune.

Recognising that his plan needed something more substantial than just hope, in 2021, Cole graduated from the same university — this time with an MA in Creative Writing.

“Afterwards, I went home for a bit and worked in a coffee shop, while looking at what I really wanted to do,” Cole explains.

“At my [MA] graduation, a few people who were already working in PR said I would be absolutely perfect for it, and that it was ‘built for me’.

“PR is all about communication, creativity, being curious and obsessive over the news, but also having attention to detail and building personal relationships. These were skills I had been steadily developing.”

He then “spent months” looking for jobs, which he says to look back on now is “quite funny”.

“Trying to get my first job in PR felt like a full-time job,” he laughs. “I must have sent 60-100 applications, and was applying for everything without considering my interests.

“Myself and other graduates I spoke to all had this scattergun approach. It’s hard to get a job, so we cast our net really wide.

He is able to laugh about it now, but Cole says at the time, this experience left him feeling “quite depressed”. His mother advised him to take time off from the job hunt.

Restrained confidence

“I took my mum’s advice and had time off in December to reevaluate and rest.

“I came back in January, having tailored my entire CV and covering letter to each of the companies I was applying to.

“Where I was applying to 60 before, I only applied to three places with a super-specific CV and covering letter. I interviewed for all three positions and got [job offers for] them all.”

Cole took on an internship at Taylor Herring in February 2023, and by April 2024 was promoted to an account executive.

“I was really lucky to secure an internship at Taylor Herring, which was an amazing learning opportunity,” says Cole. “Nothing can speak to that sense of relief after months of trying, feeling like you're getting nowhere, getting more worried and feeling more internalised pressure.

Cole also says that while he had visited London, it was challenging living in Yorkshire and travelling to the city for interviews.

“I was staying on friends' sofas or trying to get down early for a job interview. Even when I got my internship, for the first two weeks, I was staying in an Air BnB at a massive cost. I managed to scramble a few friends together that were looking to move to London and move in with them.”

Lessons to learn

Cole continues: “I moved over from Taylor Herring to The Romans about 18 months into my career, as an account executive. I’m really proud of the award-winning work I’ve produced, and my favourite was pro-bono for OddBalls Foundation.”

And indeed, having joined The Romans in August 2024, Cole is now involved with its latest PR news podcast, Rome FM.

When asked if Cole felt any pressure to prove himself at the start of his career, given he had no prior experience in public relations, he says that his degree and general life experience gave him all he needed.

“When I look back, the PR industry spoke to my natural curiosity,” he explains.

“I wanted a career that was creative and fulfilling, having just done my MA. That was really important to me, but I also wanted something that was quite grounded and analytical.

“I wanted something [that used] the skills I had gained over the years, and a degree really sets you up for that.”

“You will definitely find things in common between your degree and between PR — especially in humanities, which has writing at the heart of it.

“I’m confident that if you ask my grandma what I do for a career, she'd probably say I am a journalist. And, I think most PR's would find [their career isn’t wholly understood] when they're explaining their job to friends and family.

“While it’s part of the beauty of the PR industry, it definitely makes it harder to crack into if you don’t have a degree that’s too closely relevant or if you don’t have friends and family in the industry."

Cole concludes: “Your passions are your superpower, but your key to PR doesn't have to rely on you being the biggest voice…it's a super fluid and inclusive industry."