The content of this page is translated. Read the original text in Danish

What does the company/ organisation you work for do?

 Press agency and communication

Briefly describe your "journey" from university to your current job?

After graduating, I was employed as a communication consultant in an IT company in Copenhagen. At the time (in 1996/1997), the company used a Nordic PR agency that I was in frequent contact with. After a while, I was asked if it would be a clever idea to switch to the PR industry... It was - I have been there ever since and this year I am celebrating my 17th anniversary with Lange PR.

What do a few typical job assignments look like for you?

Lange PR assists Danish and international companies in securing positive press coverage of everything from product launches to company acquisitions, mergers, new export markets or hiring new employees. Lange PR also works as PR advisor for three of the investors in the Danish edition of Shark Tank and for the many different companies that receive an investment through the TV programme. In addition, Lange PR works as a pro bono advisor for the CoolUnite Foundation. The assignments vary greatly from day to day but in the end, they are all about securing positive press coverage or pulling chestnuts out of the fire in the event of a crisis or a “shitstorm” on social media.

Describe your typical working day

The day starts early with a perusal of the most important newspapers – both online and in print – including the many different industry media that clients of Lange PR have an interest in appearing in. Then the day alternates between meetings and the actual production of press releases, contributions to debates, texts for social media or pitch presentations on stories relevant to the press. Lange PR has clients in several different countries, so the days are sometimes filled with meetings either early or late in the day.

What motivates you?

Writing. Angling the stories journalistically. Having enough experience to advise even the biggest international companies. And seeing Lange PR’s clients appear in the media every single week. It gives me just as much of a rush today 22 years after I first grappled with getting a story in the media.

What is the most important learning in your working life so far

That it really pays off to be an active student who gathers knowledge and participates in your studies with commitment. I have especially used all the golden nuggets we picked up in the language courses where grammar was a big part of the teaching (in the business language part of the master´s programme). In addition, the problem-orientated approach to any assignment is extremely useful - also outside Aalborg University. That said, it IS a different world on the other side of the study programme. The education gives you the opportunity to really put theory into practice, and there is still a lot to learn, even with a master's degree in hand.

How do you use your education and AAU expertise in practice?

My most important weapon is the grammar that we swotted up ad nauseam. It has given me a basic linguistic understanding that has been worth its weight in gold over the years.

What made you choose Aalborg University over another university?

I never considered anything other than Aalborg University and it was with immense pride that I started there after two gap years after high school where I travelled and “enjoyed” myself with serving 12 months of military conscription in the Queen’s Life Regiment.

What made you choose the programme you did and would you have chosen differently today?

I was a mathematical-natural science student, as it was called back then. This made me quite sure that I was definitely not going in that direction, but rather something with language and communication. In this case, MA in Language and International Relations (SIF) was a brilliant programme.

What is your favourite memory from AAU?

The day I got an A+ in my final exam. It was grand.

What is your career advice for students and recent graduates?

Thoroughly familiarise yourself with the company you want to work for. Do your research. Find out what you can offer. This will make it much easier for you to land that first job.

Anything relevant to portray you?

I have created a working life for myself, where I define the framework of the job myself. For example, Lange PR lives on a renovated houseboat in the East Harbour of Aalborg. It's unconventional, but it's an expression of the fact that as a self-employed person - fortunately - you can make your own decisions. In recent years, I have been very selective with the customers I work for. This means that each one is carefully selected, which makes for a much more pleasant working day. Both professionally and socially.

Jacob Lange at LinkedIn