Agency PR: The New Land of Opportunity

Last night we were spoiled, as we had not one, but two guest speakers share everything (and then some) about working for an independent PR agency. The two Edelman representatives, Jennifer Little (a seasoned vet) and Ashley Maddocks (an all-star rookie) shared their experiences working for such a prestigious firm.

The agency side of PR always seemed overwhelming to me: juggling clients, all the different teams, practices, specialty units, etc. But, what I hadn’t realized was that when you work for an agency, such as Edelman, the opportunities are virtually endless.

For starters, there is more mobility compared to corporate PR. Whether it’s moving from the consumer marketing practice to the media practice, or even moving from the Dallas office to the Chicago office, there seems to be a lot of freedom once you get your foot in the door. Jennifer and Ashley’s presentation brought up a great point: your tastes change as you grow and as your career grows. Working for an agency gives you the chance to explore new and exciting areas, while satisfying your ever-changing tastes.

Working for an agency is like eating at a buffet-style restaurant: you get to sample a little bit of everything. However, when you work on the corporate side, you might only get to handle one brand. Working at an agency and working for different clients allows you to discover an interest you might never knew you had. You’re not limited to one industry—you can oversee retail, food, or technology accounts and get to know a little bit about everything. Think of how boring is it to talk to someone who knows everything possible there is to know about computers—but that’s all. By working agency, you can really bring something to the table by having some background in all these different fields.

I’m sure pro-agency people could argue that there are much more benefits and opportunities than just these, but even just these few had me sold on the agency life.