Agency, Corporate, or Non-Profit? What is the angle you would like to take when looking at your Public Relations career? Over the past two weeks NIU PRSSA has had two very helpful speakers come in and give us definitions of each. The first being Scott Winterroth and the other being Corrine Gudovic. Scott offered a very straight forward view of what working for the City of Chicago entails and in most cases it was B.S., but in the long run Scott represents two major Chicago outlets in Navy Pier and the McCormick Place. Both of which host huge events and are in many ways what Chicago is known for.
When you get down to it you really have to decide what would be right for you in the long run. Look at Corrine; she started working for a corporate PR firm and eventually decided that an agency was the way to go. She mentioned that in Corporate PR you defend the profession of PR, as opposed to actually representing your client and their brand. This could be good or bad depending on what you’re trying to accomplish in your career. On the other hand you have Agency in which you would more so represent your client's brand, and of course that "brand" could be anything, from a service to a product, whether you support it or not.
So whether it is event planning, crisis planning, or writing the standard press release you will be doing more of one of these depending on which route you choose. In working with Opportunity House I get the chance to be hands on with the people whom I represent, and I get to do a wide variety of PR. I write press releases, work on a monthly newsletter, interview clients and staff and have my own desk! :) All this and OH is a state funded organization that has to do yearly fund raisers to keep a good revenue stream. Opportunity House would fall under the non-profit type of agency.
Obviously the most important thing for each of us to do at this point in time is to get a good and stable job, but put some serious thought into what type of agency you would want to be putting your hours in for. Agency, Corporate, Non-Profit? You choose.....
-Brett Bates
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3 comments:
As Corrine, and many other PR professionals have said, it is best to try and start off at an agency, whether it is through an internship or entry level because they will give the best experience and allow to use your creative outlet. Most times, people who work in corporate find their way back to agency life in the end.
In my own opinion, I think it would be best to get a feel for both agency and corporate to see how each one works before you try and stay with one. But another thing to think about is that at the same time, with this economy we need to be taking any job we can get; experience is experience.
-Michele Westergaard
Hey,
I think Corrine actually stated working in an agency.
I think that working for an agency would give me a better opportunity to learn more because I would be surrounded by all PR people but as Michele said in today economy take what you can get.
Lisa Gregory
yes, you're right she had an internship at an agency, and then went to corporate and back to agency. I did forget that part-thanks.
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