Q: I am thinking about changing careers and I would like to explore opportunities in the public relations field. How easy or difficult is it to get a job in public relations without industry or agency experience?
-Joe Candidate
A: That is a fabulous question, Joe. I’m going to be completely honest - you’re going to have a hard time finding a public relations position in a mid to large sized agency without any applicable experience. That being said, lets focus on what you can do to make yourself more marketable in the PR field!
-Transferrable skills. The core competencies of public relations consist of writing, writing, media relations, writing, client service, and more writing….so, are you a good writer? OK, that’s a great start. Do you have a Journalism, Communications, or Public Relations degree? Even better! Someone with a non-traditional background can actually be a really great fit in a specialized role. For example, a person with very strong human resources experience could be a great fit for internal communications. Similarly, a person with specialized pharmaceutical experience could be an excellent fit for healthcare public relations. It really boils down to whether or not you like to write.
-Boutique Firms. The best way to get your foot in the door in PR is to join a boutique firm and start gaining direct experience. You can also go the corporate or non-profit route, but choose wisely and research the organizations before applying.
-Internships. If you are still in college or just out of college, I suggest applying for a paid internship with a large firm or joining a small boutique firm in an entry level position. Here’s the link to our internship application process - http://www.fleishman.com/careers/internships.html
-Networking. Join networking associations like PRSA and IABC, and be sure to attend the meetings and get involved. Also, create a LinkedIn.com profile, if you haven’t already, and start linking and networking with PR professionals in your city.
-Research, research, research! We’ve all seen the flashy PR job descriptions advertised on the job boards – don’t be fooled by gimmicks. Go to Google and research which reputable large, medium, and boutique PR firms are in your town.
-Get referred into a company. If you know anyone personally at the companies you are targeting, email them with your resume and ask them to refer you for an entry level position. You can also email a recruiter directly with your resume if you can find their work email address. This can backfire if you are too pushy, so use your best judgment when contacting anyone directly. Also, check the company Web sites to see if you can submit a resume online.
-Indeed. Not all companies advertise their openings on monster.com, so I suggest having an indeed.com job alert emailed to you daily. Indeed pulls all of the jobs from all of the job boards and company sites into one list and sends it directly to your email inbox. How easy is that?
-Don’t worry, be happy. Listen, if you’re going to be working at a company for at least 38.5 hours a week, you should really love the company and the work that you’re doing! In your search, be sure to really drill down to find the types of organizations that are aligned with your interests. If you hate writing, then public relations would probably not be the best profession for you to pursue. However, if you love writing, teamwork, current events, media relations, working with large clients, and interesting international assignments – you would probably be a great fit for F-H! To learn more about our current positions, check us out at www.fleishman.com. You can also check out our digital work at www.fhdigital.net.
Fleishman-Hillard’s own Pro Bono & the Non‑Billables will duke it out with Enterprise Rent‑A-Car’s E-Rockers in the Fourth Battle of the Corporate Bands for Our Little Haven on Friday, March 14.
