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Topic: Am about to give up completely
| Author | Message |
| TVchick | Posted – 6/8/2007 1:07:10 PM | show profile | email poster Okay, after 10 months of interviewing at just about every public relations agency, I am basically officially done. I don't get these people. I would love to fully accept the fact that I am either saying or doing something wrong, or not doing something they want to hear. But I can't physically get how it is possible that someone with 10 years of broadcast journalism experience and a master's in communications focusing almost entirely on marketing and public relations, including actual work with clients, can't find a job at this agencies. I don't physically get it. I have stopped wondering what it takes, I am starting to think I don't have what it takes. No amount of project management experience, which is documentary filmmaking apparently prepares you for anything. No amount of news making, no amount of reading and practicing and attending courses and networking. All these agencies want is an agency experience. That said, someone like me, who has such a solid understanding of the media, isn't as valuable. Sorry if I am sounding negative, I am just so deeply disappointed, and even deeper in debt. I wasted so much time on these interviews, (and I get a lot, almost every week!) consultations, questions, reading...I am strung along constantly--either they love me and the budget falls through or I don't fit the mold, or I don' t know what else. Sigh. Time to return back to news, which I suppose, is what I know and do best. It's just that now I have to pay 50K back. |
| Cyrus | Posted – 6/8/2007 1:44:27 PM | show profile Have you tried very small agencies, say with 10 people or thereabouts? They tend to be more "forgiving" when it comes to an experience formula than the biggies. I personally agree with a lot of what you're saying. However, there is a unique element to the job when it comes to serving clients. Client service environments are a very demanding work environment. Even though as a former journalist I recognize that news is very demanding in and of itself, a client service environment involves different pressures and requires a unique kind of understanding. Basically, what I mean by that is you'll be called on in PR to do things that you think aren't necessarily what's best for the client and their money. But if after hearing your views on that, it's still what they want, it's what you have to do and you almost have to make them think they were brilliant for wanting it in the first place. Why? Because clients like their egos stroked just like everybody else and doing that is part of keeping clients. There's another element to this that I know may sound crazy. I've honestly ran across many people in PR that don't like journalists much. Why I can't exactly know for sure, but I think it's sort of an envy kind of thing. IOW, they wished they'd taken the path, didn't for whatever reason, and now think they're smarter than journalists because they're in a field that generally draws more money, etc. Yet when a journalist doesn't buy their idea, often they think they're nuts. ------ Cyrus Afzali Astoria Communications www.astoriacomm.com |
| TVchick | Posted – 6/8/2007 2:47:31 PM | show profile Thanks a lot for your thoughts. I was beginning to think I was going a bit mad. I met a lot of very intelligent people during all these interviews. Advanced degrees, well poised, etc etc. I honestly really enjoyed meeting a lot of these people and from what the job descriptions, know full well I would have succeeded. I also understand that I haven't worked directly with clients and it's a whole different thing, although I have worked with some big egos who like their egos massaged as well. I am just completely lost because I am so deeply in debt and stuck in a rotting boring job where I barely get to do anything of value personally and professionally and I just regret it all so much. |
| aj | Posted – 6/8/2007 2:54:10 PM | show profile Have you considered in-house PR? You may find your journalism background more welcome there. |
| TVchick | Posted – 6/8/2007 3:00:24 PM | show profile Yes I have. I haven't pursued it as heavily because I found it a lot easier to meet people in agencies. I have no idea how to begin networking for in-house but from the advice I got, it could be a better route... |
| aj | Posted – 6/8/2007 3:04:39 PM | show profile I know it sounds crazy, but I'd send some packets out to companies that interest you (especially any with a mission that you're passionate about) and then follow up with cold calls. You have nothing to lose. |
| Cyrus | Posted – 6/8/2007 3:49:57 PM | show profile In-house jobs may be a good route. Just be forewarned that they're also VERY competitive. In-house PR people aren't subject to the billable hour structure that rules at agencies and have much more job security as a rule than agency staffers, so many at agencies dream of moving in-house. But I always subscribe to the theory that you never have anything to lose when it comes to pursuing an opportunity. I've been lucky to have several work out, so what's to say the same won't happen for you? One last final thought: as best you can, try to bill yourself as a specialist in a particular field. Document that with stories you may have written or anything else you can find. When you establish yourself as a specialist in a particular area, you're seen as more valuable and also have a more focused search. ------ Cyrus Afzali Astoria Communications www.astoriacomm.com |
| Mag Girl | Posted – 6/8/2007 4:26:16 PM | show profile I feel for ya, I really do. I went through the same thing about two years ago. I got interviews at agencies, but they always went with someone with "more relvant" experience. In-house is definitely the way to go, and even nonprofit too - that's where I ended up. It took almost a year and a half of interviewing to actually land a PR job, but I'm really happy now, even though I had to take a slight step back in pay. Don't give up yet! You WILL find something - you're just going to have to expand your search. And I've found most people I've met are happier after they leave big-name agency life (not all, but most), so this may be a blessing in disguise! |
| TVchick | Posted – 6/8/2007 4:42:08 PM | show profile So short of calling anyone cold, what's a good way to start networking for in-house PR jobs? I don't mind calling anyone cold, actually, but since I am in the position when I am asking them to do something for me, when they really don't know me at all, it can be a bit uncomfortable. Thanks a lot, so sorry to dump it all on the message board, I literally just had 5 interviews this month and entered the "wit's end" state. |
| ManhattanMatt | Posted – 6/8/2007 5:13:29 PM | show profile TVChick, you're singing my tune ... 20 years of broadcast television and radio here ... the last 13 years at the network level ... and they don't even want to TOUCH me. So far I've had two nibbles ... with ridiculous hours and mediocre salaries. |
| TVchick | Posted – 6/8/2007 5:20:11 PM | show profile Somehow, dear Matt (and my beloved former colleague) broadcast news no longer seems so bad :( |
| df | Posted – 6/8/2007 6:41:51 PM | show profile | email poster TV chick, are you in NYC? I have enabled my email, if you want you can email me off the board and I'll have a look at your resume etc maybe I can spot from an agency employer point of view what's keeping you from being hired. |
| aj | Posted – 6/8/2007 9:23:55 PM | show profile Tell every single person you know what you're looking for and ask them if they know anyone who you may call for 'advice' and suggestions. Start attending PR networking events in your area. Contact your college alumni association (even if you graduated 25 years ago) and get some names of people in your industry. Then cold call and cold query at the same time. |
| Cyrus | Posted – 6/9/2007 12:20:05 AM | show profile TVChick, Try going to networking events sponsored by organizations representing the same industries as the companies you'd like to work for. You may spend a ton of time that doesn't seem productive at first, but all it takes is one good connection. ------ Cyrus Afzali Astoria Communications www.astoriacomm.com |
| newsgal | Posted – 6/10/2007 10:58:42 AM | show profile aj is right on the money with the suggestion of going to an in-house/corporation type thing. Look at their websites - talk to the PR people you already know at these (if you're in local news - who do you deal with every day?). It's a small business - you'll quickly find out who's moving on, and therefore, what jobs are opening up. Also - be realistic on what you're going to make salary wise. Matt, if you think "mediocre salaries" is anything less than six figures, then I have to tell you, right there is why they're "not touching you." While your news experience is certainly helpful, it's not a be-all-end-all for folks who've already worked their way up in PR and know the game of working in a PR agency. Let me tell you - it's a WHOLE different world than the newsroom. While I don't think you'd need to go in at a junior account exec salary, you're not going to move in at a VP level either. |
| marianna | Posted – 6/11/2007 5:33:04 PM | show profile Hi TV Chick, I was able to get an agency job without prior agency experience and have seen other people do it as well. (BUT this is for entertainment PR, which is a very fluid, low-barriers world.) What worked for me is convincing these firms that I had relationships with journalists that were as good as, if not better, than their own (most of my interviews consisted of non-stop name dropping--totally cringe making, but it worked!). I basically went in and said "I have what you need;--l am friends with the journalists you are pitching AND I have covered many of your clients in my magazine articles and know exactly how to approach my fellow journalists about getting further coverage." I"m wondering if maybe you were too modest about your connections or maybe didn't emphasize them enough...? M |
| Dani Fanny | Posted – 6/11/2007 7:24:12 PM | show profile oh god, just give it up. they don't want to hire you because you DON'T FIT IN. simple, If they wanted to hire you they would. Stop being a crybaby on this worthless board and go meet people in REAL LIFE. |
| ManhattanMatt | Posted – 6/11/2007 7:37:32 PM | show profile Well, Danni ... *I* for one happen to know TVchick IN REAL LIFE, and let me tell you ... if she doesn't "fit in", it's only because she's not like all the other vapid (and to quote Miranda Priestly, "STUPID") 20- and 30-something girls who are in PR only because they have not other marketable skills. I believe TVchick is having problems "fitting in" because she blows everyone else away and would make all those mindless "clackety-clack" girls feel uncomfortable. |
| Dani Fanny | Posted – 6/11/2007 7:40:26 PM | show profile Well then maybe she should stick to Journalism. Clickity Clack. |
| PublicityChick | Posted – 6/11/2007 8:03:59 PM | show profile | email poster don't give up Hi TVchick, We emailed a while back about this. I've been in PR for years and I'd be happy to look at your resume for you. I've been at small agencies, mid-sized firms and the biggies so I have a good idea of what they're looking for. |
| marianna | Posted – 6/11/2007 8:26:55 PM | show profile I'm sure MMatt and TVChick are perfectly charming, but I suspect they aren't pushing the most important skill necessary to land a VP PR job: the ability to bring in clients. I know some appalling people who were able to move directly into six figure positions at PR agencies because they brought business with them. At my previous agency, that was ALL the VP's did...pitch new clients, give presentations, schmooze people at lunch. The routine day-to-day stuff was done by the junior staff and assistants. I think that may be the problem: you aren't emphasizing "who you know". |
| mushkambaryan | Posted – 6/12/2007 2:44:08 PM | show profile Listen to my advice! I promised myself not to visit this lame excuse for a forum! But I am currently temping and have tons of downtime on my hands during the day. TV Chick, I said it before, a few months ago when you were initiating your courageous foray into the PR world. And I am gonna have to REPEAT it again. Start your own business on the side!! I have. And I already have clients, some of which...happen to be PR agencies. I have been in your situation myself, with ten years of business experience and a master's degree in communications. Not to mention, my personality, wits, sense of humor and good looks. I was paving the sidewalks day and night, trying to land a job. Nobody has hired me. So...I decided to hire myself! |
| bonnie7 | Posted – 6/12/2007 5:41:21 PM | show profile Journalism and PR are two different things I understand your frustration, but a common error is that journalists think because they're done the stories, that PR will be something that's easier for them. Although pitching stories contains some of the same tasks in PR and on the news side, the rest of the job is a salesposition. And journalists frequently fail because they don't have the sales experience. When you interview, emphasize your interpersonal skills, your contacts, your ability to quickly learn about a product, and you might get different results. Oh, and I've had ALOT of journalists interview at my agency who come across as though they think the job is easier than journalism, and it's not. Beware that trap. |
| TVchick | Posted – 6/12/2007 5:59:48 PM | show profile Thank you so so much. I am very grateful. I never thought it would take me so long because I have been told time and time again by senior PR folks that with my resume I'd have no problem. None. That was severely misleading because I have been met with a lot of enthusiasm at first and then doubt. I never went for a VP job because I know it entails pitching new business, which I am not ready for. I also am not asking for too high of a salary, mainly trying to match something in the low 70s' which isn't unreasonable, or so I have been told. I also have expenses and student loan payments and can't take a cut beyond that without moving waaaaay out of my neighborhood. And lastly, after talking to PR people, I fully grasp and understand that journalism and PR are very different things and no matter what I have emphasized, it seems nothing worked. Again, the initial reception was always positive, but promises aside, nothing came to fruition. I tried to pursue different routes--straight up account work seemed like a dead end. Then I tried to position myself as a media specialist. My former colleague just got hired as an SVP at a big firm but mainly because of her contacts. So I tried that with more success, although again, I am still writing this note. And lastly, I am very good at tech stuff. I have done tech and business journalism and get that stuff really well. So I tried to go that route-- more success but again, no cigar. I think the last option that I do have is to start soliciting and taking on projects on my own just to start doing this type of work. Since I have a full time job, I can afford to not charge too much but beef up experience which is much needed. I think this may be my last option...that, and like Cyrus mentioned before, talking to small agencies which could be more flexible. |
| LoDo | Posted – 6/13/2007 11:01:29 PM | show profile It's called "overqualified," which is the new term for "We only hire entry level because we don't care if we turn and burn. We're saving a bucketload of bucks." |
