Don't Shoot The Messenger

Don't Shoot The Messenger is a podcast by Vicki Marinker, bringing you interesting conversations about careers in communications. Vicki talks with experts in PR, corporate communications, internal comms and more - discussing everything from starting a career in comms, to managing a full-scale corporate crisis. This is the podcast for you, if you want to get ahead in communications.

Don't Shoot The Messenger is a business podcast hosted by Vicki Marinker, with 34 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Vicki Marinker hosts Don't Shoot The Messenger, a business show with 34 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #34

  Episode 34: Job sharing - how to secure the role and how to make it work, with Natasha Liedl-McDowall and Will McDonald

  Jun 18, 202633 min

  How do you secure a job share role, and once in, how do you make it work? In this episode, two guests join us to share their experiences of job sharing. Will McDonald and Natasha Liedl-McDowall took different routes into job sharing. We talked about: 📣 How to win over sceptical stakeholders 📣 The unglamorous essentials: presenting a united front, handover notes and sharing all the gossip 📣 Why the relationship is the whole game, and how to know if you've got the right partner 📣 What happens when a job share starts to wobble, and how to handle it Send us Fan Mail You can find me here: Website LinkedIn All resources

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  Episode #33

  Episode 33: Jo Coxhill. Burnout prevention, recognition and recovery.

  Oct 9, 202527 min

  Jo Coxhill is on a mission to make work not suck. An expert in employee experience, organisational culture and internal communication, Jo helps companies boost performance and build happier, healthier, more engaged teams. She’s also a burnout advocate, speaker, and fellow of the IoIC, known for her authenticity and results-driven approach. In this episode - a guest expert session from our Get Hired! coaching group for comms professionals - we explore: 📣 Why burnout is still rife in corporate life, even with all the wellbeing talk 📣 The real causes of burnout, and the influence communicators can have 📣 The five stages of burnout, from healthy striving to full-blown crisis 📣 Practical strategies for prevention and recovery Send us Fan Mail You can find me here: Website LinkedIn All resources

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  Episode #32

  Episode 32: Job Search SOS. Ask the experts Q&A session with Lucy Cairncross, March 2025

  Mar 13, 202556 min

  Here's the latest 'Job Search SOS' episode. I'm back with Lucy Cairncross, MD of VMA GROUP to tackle the questions keeping job seekers up at night. This episode is packed with straight-talking advice on: 📣 Cover letters: why they still matter (despite what everyone tells you), and what actually works 📣 How to explain a disjointed career without badmouthing your toxic ex-boss 📣 Getting your CV to the top of the pile (and why hiring a CV writer is definitely not the answer) 📣 Following up on applications without looking desperate 📣 Convincing hiring managers you're not overqualified and you won't get bored (code for 'too expensive' or 'flight risk'). Job searching is brutal and can feel lonely - but you're absolutely not alone in this. The questions we received show that even the most experienced comms professionals struggle with the same challenges. Let me know what other subjects you would be interested in hearing about from a career coach and a comms recruiter. You can send me a DM on LinkedIn. Send us Fan Mail You can find me here: Website LinkedIn All resources

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  Episode #31

  Episode 31: Job Search SOS. Ask the experts Q&A session with Lucy Cairncross, Jan 2025

  Jan 23, 202556 min

  This week I’m bringing you another Job Search SOS episode, a recording of a Q&A webinar I ran in mid January 2025, with Lucy Cairncross. the MD of VMA Group, the recruitment specialist for communications, marketing, digital and change roles. We answered questions from the communications community, and provided an update on the state of the job market. Topics included: 📣 How to talk about a long gap in your CV 📣 Whether to talk about your current salary during the interview process 📣 How to negotiate when you don't know what package is on the table 📣 A proactive strategy to your job search 📣 Using LinkedIn intentionally If you'd like to find out more about my LinkedIn Unlocked online course, to help you get noticed and get hired via LinkedIn, here's the link. Listen to the episode for your 20% discount code to buy LinkedIn Unlocked for less than £80. Thank you to those who attended for your courage in sharing your challenges. Job searching is brutal and can feel lonely - but you're absolutely not alone in this. We will continue to run these sessions if there's an appetite for them. Please send me a DM on LinkedIn to ask your questions, or to join the waiting list for the next webinar. Send us Fan Mail You can find me here: Website LinkedIn All resources

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  Episode #30

  Episode 30: Nessa O'Gorman. Creating new career opportunities from burnout

  Dec 5, 202431 min

  Nessa O'Gorman is a global product and marketing strategist who has had several career pivots. From an early career as an interpreter, she moved into marketing and product development, launching Expedia's first loyalty programme across 14 countries. And now Nessa has a new passion - wellbeing as the foundation of sustainable performance in work and in life. In this episode we talk about: 📣 How to bounce back from burnout 📣 The foundations for a healthy and fulfilling life 📣 Information overload and the trend towards personalisation in marketing 📣 A shocking personal story about the danger of business travel in Russia. Send us Fan Mail You can find me here: Website LinkedIn All resources

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