Where have all the junior PR people gone darling?

Our Clients are telling us it is getting more difficult to recruit good junior PR People.

Is this because less people are entering the industry or is it because the role of PR has changed significantly over the last decade and become more specialised? Our Senior Consultant Lee Short put this question to some colleagues and clients to try and find out what they felt was happening.

Firstly, the role of PR has definitely changed

PR communication used to all go one-way.  At its most simplistic companies had press launches and sent out press releases which were utilised or not depending on their quality and validity.  On the other hand customers had no public avenue to easily interact with or respond to companies and brands apart from Watchdog style programmes or a relevant Ombudsman.

Now, customers are able to engage with brands and their content by liking, sharing and commenting on posts. This really helps brands know how effective content and ads are in reaching the masses, and boosting visibility, as opposed to the past where the effect of commercials and newspaper ads could only be measured in sales.

Social media has provided a whole new way for customers to connect with brands – positively or negatively meaning that brands can really mess things up in front of their target audience. It’s also provided an easy platform for customers to air bad customer experiences on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. 

What this means is we are now seeing a lot more specialist roles:

• Social Media Manager
• Content Manager
• Influencers, Bloggers and Vloggers
• Crisis Management
• CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility
• Public Affairs
• Corporate Comms
• Experiential & Events

Secondly, it seems less people entering are entering PR

These days, how many new graduates or career-changers are interested in PR as a role (agency or in house)?  We have been seeing a continuing trend away from the traditionally titled PR type roles into the more digitally savvy specialist roles described above. So it not that there aren't good PR candidates out there anymore, but rather that their experience and skills have become more rounded and traditional PR is evolving to cross over more with marketing communication, social media and influencer marketing. 

What is working in PR really like? 

According to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, despite popular media representations of the industry, PR isn't all glamour and long lunches – it can involve a lot of hard work and long hours. That's not to say there aren't perks to the job of course! Essentially, public relations can offer an incredibly varied and challenging career, encompassing many different activities. As with many jobs, the proof is in the pudding and you will only find out if you are suited to PR through experience in the field.

Or if you are looking for PR and Comms talent to join your team we have a wealth of candidates with the right experience and profile. So brief us on a role today.