subject: A Good Time To Build Pr Careers? [print this page] Most creative professionals are no strangers to the vagaries of the employment market, the very nature of their professions means that they are largely immune to concerns that there is no such thing as a 'job for life' these days. For those working in any of the arts and media professions the concept of a job for life has always been something of an interesting but abstract concept. For those working in the media, PR and communications industries moving from job to job is part of the nature of the work and working freelance in these fields is common. With governments around Europe teetering, if not toppling, companies struggling to make ends meet the need for good PR professionals is still surprisingly high as organisations desperately need to keep a high profile in the press. Despite the recession, or perhaps because of it, this is a good time for those looking to establish a PR career.
Joined up contracts
With many companies needing short term support, cover or additional staff in their PR Departments there are some great opportunities for those looking to carve out a career and gain valuable experience in diverse areas. However, finding those opportunities can feel like a never ending "slog". The temporary nature of many contracts can also make it an on-going task in order to be able to move from one position to another with as little interruption as possible. This is the main reason that many PR professionals find using a PR recruitment agency can take a lot of the hard work out of finding work. So what to look for in an agency?
Contact centres
A good agency will have experience and contacts in the media industry and will be in a position to match you with a good selection of vacancies. Because of the short nature of many PR jobs it"s worth finding an agency that is willing to build a relationship with you over the long term. General recruitment agencies will do little more than file your CV amongst thousands, while a good PR recruitment business will be prepared to work with you on a more personal level. Specialist agencies are by far the most suitable to work with in such a volatile industry and maintaining a relationship with your agency means that you will have access to the next opportunity when you need it.
Insider jobs
Within recent years the lucrative PR industry has attracted a number of new players in the PR recruitment field and there is a good range of choice for those searching for a suitable agency. However, it"s worth considering the length of time the agency has been in the field "" PR is about people, about contacts and reputation. A well-established agency should have plenty of history with companies and organisations operating in the media field "" so these should be the agencies to focus on establishing a relationship with.
