Lucie Szalma is senior account director at Hatch, a creative communications agency headquartered in Leeds.
With more than 15 years’ experience, Szalma heads up Hatch’s lifestyle division, supporting FMCG and retail brands including Remington, Berry’s Jewellers and Hisense.
From PR job challenges to role models, Szalma shares her career journey and words of advice with us…
How did you first get into your industry?
After studying English and Creative Writing at Salford University, I was convinced I’d end up working in journalism. I’d always loved writing, was fascinated with current affairs and had a strange sort-of obsession with all things pop culture. At the time, print media was all we had, so I would read music, fashion and lifestyle magazines religiously. I remember going to WHSmith’s every single Saturday to pick up NME (for £1.15 would you believe!), The Face, and Q Magazine, and I’d sit and read cover-to-cover as though my life depended on it. I’d then take my favourite interview or cover and stick it on my bedroom wall… what a time to be alive!
Without sounding completely desperate, after I graduated, I would have accepted any job that was even remotely related to journalism. And that I did. I began working as an assistant editor for a small publishing company in Bradford. 21-year-old me would drive around interviewing people in the community, business owners for let’s just say, a ‘mix’ of titles covering everything from local news, food & drink, farming, fencing, construction, social enterprise.
After I had a few years’ experience under my belt, I moved into more copywriting roles, and from there, I worked as a PR and comms manager at a specialist insurance company in Halifax. In 2015, I began working in-house as PR and social media manager at global baby brand, Munchkin, where I managed PR and influencer activity in the UK and across its EMEA territories.
I’ve been at Hatch for more than five years now working with brands like Remington, Hisense, Manchester United, Berry’s Jewellers. There’s 42 of us at Hatch now, compared to twenty-or-so when I joined in 2019. It’s fair to say that a lot has changed in that time, but I’ve loved being part of the agency’s evolution and growth.
What do you love about your job?
I love the daily challenges, the pressure that comes from working in PR. Sounds strange, I know, but I actually live for those curveball moments, when everyone works together to do or produce something really cool or creative – the pride you feel when something comes to life how you’d envisioned it would.
The day-to-day variety is what keeps it interesting for me; one minute I’m discussing a campaign with a talent agent, the next I’m pitching a weird or wonderful idea, then I’m reviewing a press office plan – no two hours are the same at Hatch.
I love working with *ahem* younger PRs; seeing them grow and evolve into their role and watching how they think, talk and approach their work – I think there’s lots we can learn from Gen Zs!
Who – or what – has inspired you in your career?
I wouldn’t say there’s been one person who has inspired my career – definitely not anyone in my family as they have no idea what I do!
I think it was my adolescent passion for print magazines that spurred me into PR. I wanted to be a music journalist – to go to gigs and write about cool people. I’d follow the likes of Conor McNicholas, Steve Lamacq, Zane Lowe – listen to their shows and read their articles. It’s hard to believe a time before social media, but online news sites, digital PR, influencers and video content didn’t *really* exist in the mid-noughties, so away from print and radio, Flikr and MySpace was my go-to inspiration.
What are the biggest challenges about your job?
Every job has its challenges, but I think in the PR world, you’re often at the mercy of external factors you can’t always control or plan for. Things like the economy, world affairs, AI, global pandemics… we never really know what’s around the corner and how they might impact our day-to-day work.
What skills have been the most crucial to you succeeding in your career so far?
I’ve always been a career person. From the moment I got my National Insurance number aged 16, I was working and earning a salary. I was driven and wanted to learn everything I could about marketing. I worked for free even before university; I’d write to newspapers and radio stations to arrange unpaid work placements – I knew that if I wanted to work in PR or journalism, I’d have to pull my finger out.
I can be quite tenacious; I’ll try my hand at everything, and I actually enjoy being outside my comfort zone which is ideal when working in PR.
What was your first salary and what could someone getting into the industry expect to earn nowadays?
As an undergraduate: £6,000 per annum. As a post-grad: £16,000 per annum.
For those new to the industry, I think setting realistic salary expectations is so important; earning your stripes and developing your skills will undoubtedly unlock better opportunities, a nicer title, better pay in the future.
Obviously, salaries differ massively depending on where in the UK/world you are, so do your research and benchmark salary bands – it’s all there and available to find online.
What education or training would be most useful for someone looking to follow your career path?
Education and training are great, but I don’t think they’re the be-all and end-all. Far from it. Your attitude, personality and character have a huge part to play in forging a successful career in PR.
There are a few fundamental skills that I think good PRs should embody though. Great copywriting, creativity, confidence in your own skills, the ability to think on your feet, a willingness to learn and understand different industries, being collaborative – these will all stand you in good stead. Being good with people is crucial in PR, as is having good diversity of thought. It doesn’t hurt to be good at puns, too.
What advice would you have for someone looking to follow your path?
Be prepared to put the hours in and embrace those ‘what the f***!’moments. Use your peers to your advantage, if you’re not sure how to do or approach something, chances are those you work with, will.
Put yourself out there; email agencies, DM managing directors, send a letter, get creative. If you’re looking for a role in PR, make sure your LinkedIn’s up-to-date and steer away from using clichés on your CV.
I’d also say be humble and swallow your pride a bit, everyone’s got to start somewhere and nothing happens overnight.
