When your fresh out of college, your main concern is getting a job. Period. But, even though beggars can’t be choosers, it’s important to realize the pros and cons to working in a company’s PR department or in a PR firm.
PR Department: The great thing about being part of a mega corporation as a new PR practitioner, is that there are great learning opportunities available. You are constantly motivated by the company’s objectives and goals. As part of a corporation, you will also have a specific job to do. This is great for scatter-brained individuals who have a hard time focusing on one task at a time.
The downside is that there are a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Most of the time, around 100 people can be working in the same department, causing friction. Another negative is that you may not be as valuable to the company if there are 100 others like you. This may, however, end up being a big incentive to do your job.
PR Firm: Depending on the company, you could be hired as the only PR consultant. Maybe the company is just getting on it’s feet and is needing help expanding their image. This work could be both rewarding and stressful. It is rewarding in the way that you are running with the company’s vision and are responsible for their growth. Ironically, it is stressful in the way that it is rewarding, too. The responsibility could hard to handle at times. There may be other people to help you, but the feat may still be overwhelming.
What are some other pros and cons?
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I like the way that you concluded this post with a question. It’s so true that graduating seniors are super nervous about the job search. I find that working in a PR department seems a bit intimidating since there are so many other individuals that are a lot more familiar with PR than a new-hire would be.
Being scatter-minded is something that I feel PR people really are and MAN do I fit into that category. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed with an information overload.
In a PR firm, it can be a bit less stressful for a new PR person. They get to work at their own pace and are not pressured by the rest of the PR department. But then again, there aren’t that many people that one can learn from being a single PR rep.
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