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For longer than I care to think, the headlines about employment have all been negative. Rising unemployment. Underemployment. People leaving the employment market. However, at long last the economy is starting to see some shoots of recovery. In fact, in the world of PR, it seems like the shoots are turning into the first blossoms of spring (the analogy can be taken further in that those blossoms can easily be ruined by an unexpected storm).
In both of the recessions that I have endured – the dot-com flameout in 2001-2003 and the “Great Recession” of 2008-2009, PR agencies seemed to bear the early brunt, but came out of the downturn quicker than the overall economy. Saying that PR is the bellwether of the economy is probably stretching it a bit, but it’s not that difficult to see why agencies were impacted in such a way. Although PR is an essential component of marketing, it has traditionally been tough to measure in terms of direct dollars-and-cents return. Combined with the fact that when making cuts, canning an external agency is much more employee- and shareholder-friendly than conducting staff layoffs, the PR agency is often one of the first big expenses to go *sigh*.
When the times get better, however, most savvy companies realize that an early – and strong – investment in PR helps them get a head up over the competition. Evidence from my agency and from friends in the industry suggests we’re in such a phase right now.
However, the big problem we’re all seeing now is a real lack of qualified, experienced candidates. Although there is, and will always be, a steady stream of graduates looking to enter the market, my experience from both recessions is that there seems to be an exodus from the PR industry. Then, when hiring starts back up, they choose to stay away. It could be that PR is a very transferable skill, so when the layoffs occur, PR pros (especially those with 2-5 years experience or so) simply leave the market. Whether it’s that tougher times cause people to reflect more on their overall choice of career and move into something more “touchy-feely” or that people seek an industry they view as more secure remains to be seen, but the outcome is that for PR agencies, one of the biggest barriers to coming out of the recession is having enough talent on board to handle the work.
If you’re a talented PR pro and are looking to work for a great agency, please go to the jobs section of Allison & Partners’ website for our latest postings. If you can’t see anything in your area, feel free to contact your local General Manager with a résumé and cover letter.
