One of the things students often don’t realise about PR and communications is that there’s no single pathway into the industry. Some professionals begin their careers through the traditional route of a relevant degree, while others arrive from adjacent fields such as journalism, events, hospitality, or education.
With university enrolments and new semesters underway, Telum Media spoke with three communications professionals across Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore to understand how they landed in PR. They share what first drew them to the industry and why they chose to stay - offering insight into the skills, realities, and lessons that shape a career in PR and communications.
Nikole Duong, Media Relations Manager, L’Oréal Groupe Australia and New Zealand
I didn't start my career in public relations, and now corporate affairs - I came from learning and development. That’s where I learnt how adults absorb information, why clarity matters, and how important it is to explain things in a way people understand. It's helped shape the way I work today: simplify the nuance, honour the context, and never assume people know what you mean just because you've said the words.
I've been lucky to have worked for large organisations that invest in their people, and along the way, I've had some amazing leaders who have really backed me. They encouraged me, opened doors, and helped me see the strengths I didn't realise were valuable in corporate affairs - listening, writing clearly, staying calm under pressure, and my favourite part, connecting with all sorts of people.
Working across various local Australian and global brands has shown me how varied and rewarding this field is. For any students thinking about this path, corporate affairs is a great choice if you're curious, steady, and genuinely interested in people. You work with different teams, solve real problems, help leaders communicate honestly, and make sure people feel informed when things are changing. If that sounds like you, it’s a career worth exploring!
Tweety Chan, PR Manager, APAC, Sumsub
I did not set out to build a "typical" PR career. My early years were in hospitality and events, working on experiences that brought people together and made them feel looked after.
When I first joined a PR agency, "PR" itself felt like a vague label, and I had little idea what a practitioner actually did day to day. I took it as a challenge, and it quickly became a crash course in three things: creative thinking, teamwork, and strategy. There was never a textbook answer to any brief. Instead, every campaign demanded original thinking, a team where everyone carried real weight, and a strategic lens that moved from the big picture to the smallest detail.
After several fulfilling years in the agency space, I took on another challenge and moved in‑house. Today, I look after PR for the APAC region at a global RegTech company, where the most rewarding part is seeing communications turn into tangible business impact across multiple markets, not just campaign metrics. It is a daily reminder that PR is integral to how organisations grow, build trust, and navigate complexity.
PR is not an easy profession - it demands adaptability, stamina, and a lot of creativity. But if you enjoy both the process and the outcome, from problem‑solving with your team to watching your work shape real‑world results, it can be an incredibly energising and meaningful career.
Vladimir Guevarra, Head of Communications, Yinson Production
I didn't actually plan to end up in PR. I started in journalism, writing for The Straits Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Dow Jones Newswires. Back then, I loved the chase for the news, finding the signal inside the complexity, and helping the public understand what was really going on.
People won't believe it, but there's an introvert in me. In fact, many reporters are the same. I had to learn to be more of an extrovert to do my job - to interview, to engage, to express. For instance, when I was a student activist, I realised very quickly that our mission was far more important than our fear, or my fear, of public speaking. So I focused on getting the message out - not the fear, not the noise, not the bells and whistles. And I still live by that principle today.
As I moved and grew into corporate communications, I had the conviction that PR isn't spin, or at least, it shouldn't be - it's translation. It's taking finance, technology, energy, regulation, geopolitics, and making them more human, meaningful, and useful. It's helping leaders speak clearly and responsibly.
Across banking, telco, tech, and offshore energy, these industries I've been serving may be varied, but the meaning of the work remains the same: good communication builds trust, good messaging shapes understanding, and good storytelling creates alignment, not division.
And that's why I choose PR. Because when words are used well - with clarity and courage - they become a force for progress and change.
