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The Career Choice of In-House or Agency
What you should consider before a shift and jumping ship.
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 by Amanda DiSilvestro
Business.com

Amanda DiSilvestroOne of the biggest decisions
a PR professional makes is whether or not to work for a
PR agency or in-house for an organization.

Although both jobs fall under the same PR umbrella, they each have their own unique responsibilities for an employee. Most professionals begin by working for an agency, but as time continues many decide to make the switch.

If you’re contemplating where you want to work or are considering jumping ships, consider some of the differences between each:

Option #1: Working for a PR Agency

Working for a PR agency simply means that you are working with several different companies and clients. All of your co-workers are PR professionals, and you often collaborate on different PR projects. Consider some of the things that make working for an agency different than working for a company in-house:

Fast Pace
– There is always more action when working in a PR agency. Because you are working with more than one client, you are always on the move and your mind has to be ready for anything.

Variety
– On that same note, working for a PR agency offers more diversity. You will be working on several different projects, so you’re sure to always be engaged and learning new things.

Exposure – Agency careers can usually offer more exposure for an employee. Once again, working with several different clients helps to get your name out there to the public. You will easily be able to make connections and network.

Learning Opportunities – You will be surrounded by other PR professionals if you work in an agency, so you have many opportunities to learn new things. You will have professionals in the field to help give you a second opinion and help you through your responsibilities if you ever feel stuck.

Option #2: Working for a Company In-House Rules


If you work for a company in-house, it simply means that you are going to handle the PR for that specific company. Your co-workers will be others who work to grow the company—finance, IT, marketing, and sales departments—and your tasks will be specific to that company. Below are a few things that are unique to employees who exercise PR in-house:

Campaign Strategy
– You get a lot more freedom to create a PR campaign when you work in-house. Most agencies have their strategies set in place, but this is your turf when working for one company. You get to make the decisions and create something that you think will work.

Focus on Specific Tasks – Working in-house means that you will really be able to dig into a project. You will want to do background checks for every aspect of the projects and make decisions accordingly.

Big-Picture Experience – You really get a well-rounded experience when you work in house as a PR agent. You will need to make PR decisions based upon what marketing and sales are doing to help promote a certain company. You will really get to see why PR is important and the effect it has on an entire company.

Based upon the different tasks required by agency and in-house professionals, it’s easy to see why most start working for an agency and then make the switch. An agency is a great place to really learn the craft of PR because you get experience with many different clients. In-house work is where you really dive deep into a project and start to see how PR affects an entire company.

Nonetheless, many do go for the opposite route and start in-house and move to an agency. It completely depends upon which type of environment and tasks best fit your personality.

Although it can be tough to get picky when you’re first starting out, it’s still important to realize the differences between the two options. This will allow you to prepare correctly for an interview and a potential job.


Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on social media topics
for Business.com, giving advice to small businesses and entrepreneurs.





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