Interview With Tom Boden, Senior PR Account Manager, Gravity Consulting

I had been working in fundraising and marketing for a wildlife charity and the skills required to draw attention to our cause leant themselves well to working in public relations. As an agency, we have many clients with different aims and agendas, whether it's PR, Marketing or even Sales, no day is ever really the same.

We specialise in travel and tourism which interests me while the opportunity to hit the ground running having not come from a traditional PR background was also a bonus. There isn't much room for hand holding in small agencies, you just get on with it.

I worked in media sales roles (advertising, exhibitions, sponsorship etc.) in London for several years before moving to Durham to pursue a fundraising job in the voluntary sector.

Being creative with ideas, having the confidence to try new things but all the time ensuring that you are sticking to the brief.

We publish an in-flight magazine and I have to do a fair amount of writing for that which I find enjoyable. Sometimes though, you can't beat the buzz of a busy office when organising foreign press trips or putting together urgent press releases.

There are several top quality PR agencies in North East England and therefore plenty of competition for business. Balancing time between servicing clients and trying to win new ones is testing.

It's not all champagne and opening ceremonies, there is a lot of hard graft involved. You need to be able to manage several situations at one time while maintaining high professional standards at all times.

It's all about reputation.

To get fit. No - didn't start.

I've always wanted to go to Africa and do voluntary work, perhaps help build a school or something.

Some pop-up binoculars.
My pay-slip.
A copy of Food & Travel magazine.
Two tickets to V Festival.
My lunch!