By Camille Priselac from our Public Relations Global Network affiliate Landis Communications, Inc. in San Francisco. This post originally appeared on their blog, LCI Backtalk.
It’s May and graduation season is in full swing. Graduates are ready to hit the streets and start the next chapter in life, working for a living. Granted, many students work while going to college (I know I did). But for many, graduation means hitting the interview circuit and looking for their first dream job. For graduates looking to start their careers in the public relations industry that usually means choosing a path of in-house (client) or agency work.
As a director in public relations, I have had the chance to interview many candidates over the years. Based on my background in both corporate and agency public relations, I would estimate that 90 percent of the time the first question interviewees ask me is which I like better. I take this question very seriously as I know many graduates have offers from both sides of the public relations industry and may be struggling with the choice. Below, I’ve listed the top three reasons why I enjoy agency work.
- Variety – Agency public relations will offer you experience with a variety of clients. Your accounts may span several industries, from consumer, financial or technology. This allows you to build knowledge in areas where you may not have thought you would venture to. For example, a typical work week may include staffing a press event on an NFL football field followed by handling an interview with largest entrepreneur magazine in the U.S.
- Experience – Agency work is fast-paced and you will wear many hats as an agency professional. You will be asked to juggle multiple projects, from research, to writing press releases to pitching reporters, and a variety of deadlines. Effective time management is an absolute necessity. If you show initiative and master the skill of multitasking early, you will generally be able to gain job promotions quickly.
- Flexibility- In my experience, agency public relations has allowed for me to manage a more flexible work schedule. I’ve had the opportunity to work on so many different clients that have different schedules. This allows me to set my work schedule accordingly and accommodate my family needs.
These are just a few of the reasons why I enjoy agency work. Graduates looking for a career that will offer a variety of work experiences should consider agency public relations.
Let me know what you think. What are your top reasons for choosing agency public relations? I look forward to your posts!


