Yesterday was the day thousands of students around the country had been waiting for: A Level #results day. Students opened their results with bated breath and conversations around qualifications and careers were rife, with students having to make decisions that could affect them for the rest of their lives.

However, believe it or not, the picture actually looks relatively positive for students. The Guardian yesterday reported that 9% more students have been accepted at university this year compared to last year, which is a whopping 31,600 more students.

Many of these will be considering a career in #PR, with thousands of students heading off to study PR or media related degrees at university in September. However getting the right advice is crucial if you’re going to do succeed in PR. Here are our top tips:

1. Get as much work experience as possible. A degree alone is not enough – you need as much practical experience as possible to get your foot in the door. So intern a lot, and intern well.

2. Put your best work online. At university you will develop a portfolio of work so it is a good idea to put this online so potential employers can view it. Remember there are a variety of innovative ways you can present your work online so think outside the box.

3. Network on and offline. #Socialmedia offers an unparalleled opportunity to network and converse with people in the PR industry via a variety of platforms. For example, a great way to start a conversation and network with industry leaders is by leaving a comment on their blog.

For students who have just got their A level results and are about to start university, it is important that they grab every opportunity with both hands. The skills required to be successful in PR are evolving and budding PR’s have to keep up. Reputation is the strongest currency. Don’t waste it.