Still Looking for a PR Job? Consider Latest Employment Stats

Andrew Worob

Two recent discussions on our Marist College Public Relations Alumni & Student Group caught my attention. The first was posted by Andrew Worob, manager at Ruder-Finn in New York City and publisher of the popular PR at Sunrise blog. Andrew’s post from PR at Sunrise, “Want a Job in PR? It All Starts with the Cover Letter,” was authored by contributor Lisa Hutchins (on Twitter @lisahutchins).  



Lisa Hutchins

In this discussion, Lisa offered advice on landing a job in the public relations field, beginning with the cover letter. Before offering some very useful advice, she described a cover letter for a job application as “the first step in branding your package and who you are as a public relations practitioner.”

Shortly after reading Andrew and Lisa’s post about finding a job, a saw group member Andrew Clinkman’s post, “Unprepared for PR in a Social World?,” which appeared on his blog, The Blog: Someday This Will Be Famous.

Before elaborating on factors that might make a difference between success and failure in public relations, Andrew began with the following narrative:

College rocked, don’t get me wrong. I studied hard, did well in school, and developed lasting relationships. I traveled abroad to Morocco, studied difficult material, and learned of concepts that challenged the mind. As I walked from graduation, I had a sense that I was the most marketable person ever! I had a Communication degree with concentrations in Public Relations and Communication Studies from Marist College. I was ready to sit back and watch companies come crawling to my doorstep. Six months later, that hasn’t happened.

Both of these posts made me thankful for the good fortune many of our Marist College graduates have experienced in the job market. A quick review of our LinkedIn group members list reveals a bank of employers that reads like a Who’s Who in public relations. However, I am mindful that many of our talented graduates, like Andrew Clinkman, are still looking for a job. As I reflected on what makes the difference between those landing a job and those still looking, I ran some numbers.

First, I checked the annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Graduates conducted by the James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia. Results of the most recent survey were just reported in the November 2011 edition of AEJMC News, the newsletter of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

According to the survey, "The job market for graduates of journalism and mass communication programs around the country showed signs of improvement in 2010 and the first half of 2011, though the improvements are tentative and the market has not yet returned even to the level of two years ago."

The report also noted:

The 2010 graduates were more likely than graduates of 2009 to report having at least one job offer on graduation, more likely to report being employed at the benchmark date of the end of October of last year, and more likely to hold a fulltime job six to eight months after completing university studies. The jobs the graduates held were more likely to be in the field of communication in 2010 than they were in 2009.

Click for enlarged view. Courtesy of AEJMC News.

The survey found that median annual salaries for entry-level jobs, which hover around $30,000, haven’t changed since 2006. This statistic, factoring in inflation, means “graduates in 2010 reported salaries with significantly less purchasing power than did graduates in 2006.”

Click for enlarged view. Courtesy of AEJMC News.

On a brighter note, the survey report’s authors indicated, “Graduates in 2010 who found jobs were a bit more likely to report those jobs matched their goals and to be satisfied with the jobs overall than were graduates a year earlier.” Also, “A clear majority of the graduates reported they had been prepared for today’s job market by their courses, but large percentages did not report obtaining skills that now seem important for those seeking jobs in the changing communication occupations.” This latter finding seems to track with Andrew Clinkman’s post about the changing nature of the public relations field and the need to develop skills that often go beyond what we teach in the classroom.

I then reviewed the latest U.S. Department of Labor employment statistics, which predict significant growth in demand for public relations professionals through 2018. According to the department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (see the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook online):

Employment of public relations specialists is expected to grow 24 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations. The need for good public relations in an increasingly competitive and global business environment should spur demand for these workers, especially those with specialized knowledge or international experience. Employees who possess additional language capabilities also are in great demand.

The recent emergence of social media in the public relations is expected to increase job growth as well. Many public relations firms are expanding their use of these tools, and specialists with skills in them will be needed. 

After digesting all of these figures, I concluded that graduates can improve their chances of finding a job if they follow Lisa Hutchins’ advice to brand yourself and your application in a way that sets you apart from other applicants for a job.

Also, following up on Andrew Clinkman’s advice, which is supported by recent statistics, find your niche in the changing world of public relations. That niche seems to be associated more and more with social media skills and expertise. I’m impressed with Andrew’s efforts to promote his social media brand through his blog, posts on Twitter and LinkedIn, etc.

So, for those still looking for a job, take heart. The job outlook in public relations is looking brighter. Find your niche, polish your skills (even if it means publishing your own blog and remaining active on the social media scene), and promote your brand.

Now, how about other practitioners who have succeeded in finding jobs and advancing in their careers? What can you share with us in terms of the public relations employment outlook in your sector? And what advice can you offer to those still seeking employment? Please comment.

NOTE: For members of the Marist College Public Relations Alumni and Student Group on LinkedIn, you are invited to comment on this in our discussions forum at http://linkd.in/tI0CiI.