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Working in PR and relocating to Birmingham – what can you expect?

By Emma Tee on

The Birmingham PR scene is really vibrant, but it might seem a little bit different if you’re relocating from one of the other big cities like London or Manchester.

  1. There’s a few ‘really big’ PR agencies, but a lot tend to be no bigger than 20 people. We’ve also experienced a real boom of smaller start-ups, managed by really ambitious individuals who are proving that big doesn’t necessarily have to be best.
  2. A lot of agencies are not in the centre of Birmingham. One of the first things a lot of relocaters say is that they want to be in the city centre, and why not, it’s amazing!  However, it’s also got a varied geography of buildings and you’ll actually find more of the ‘bigger’ agencies in converted barns or purpose built premises outside of walking distance from New Street Station.  You will find that it’s much easier to park in those locations!
  3.  Birmingham PR agencies tend to have a plethora of strengths when it comes to sector, and there are very few which purely specialise in one sector.  They main have teams dedicated to lifestyle or tech, but as agencies they’ll also have lots of other strings to their bow.  This is one of the biggest differences we see between Manchester and London especially where there tend to be agencies which are quite niche.
  4. Everyone knows everyone!  The CIPR membership in the Midlands is very active, and lots of the MD’s of different agencies are actually ex-colleagues and friends! It’s not a problem though, as all is definitely fair in love and war.
  5. There’s a bit of a shortage of agency people in Birmingham at the moment and plenty of jobs, so if you are looking for a role here, you will be busy with interviews!  As a general rule salaries are about £2-3k lower than in London, and they’re comparable to Manchester, but obviously you’re not going to be spending as much money on just living, so you may still find yourself better off.

If you’ve got any other questions about what to expect from the Birmingham PR scene, speak to one of our fantastic consultants.