Should you join a PR or integrated marketing agency? Our visual consideration map


You could be 22, just graduating college with a liberal arts degree.  Or maybe you are 32 and considering a jump from journalism to the “dark side.” You may be 42 or 62 and a little bored by the politics of corporate marketing.

No matter who you are, you are seriously considering joining a marketing agency. You are hoping for a fun, creative environment, perhaps with a little Mad Men ambiance thrown in for good measure.

The good news? There is a PR or integrated marketing communication firm that’s probably just the right for you. The bad news? You are going to have to do some thinking before you find it.

I career counsel friends and strangers on this decision frequently.  It’s not a simple choice. But there’s usually a common set of considerations to evaluate, including:

  • What kind of agency do you want to join?
  • What is the ideal focus of the agency?
  • What’s the right atmosphere for you?
  • Does the agency work process sync with your own work style? (A frequent sticking point we’ve experienced)

After you’ve researched those questions, then it’s time to decide if an agency position is really right for you.  Think about what matters to your career path now…and what may matter to you later.

Finally, wrap all that research and thinking into your own marketing agency SWOT — a simple bullet list of your perceptions on the strengths, weaknesses, threats & opportunities on this career path.   You should be in a much better position to decide if agency life is for you…and, if so, what kind of agency will make you happy.

This visual map offers a few more clues that I often share in my career counseling discussions. What about you? What factors influenced your last agency job search? Or, what attributes will matter most to you when you search for your next agency job?

Connect with Elizabeth:

Phone: 212.840.0017
Email: elizabeth@blisspr.com
Twitter: @elizabethsosnow
LinkedIn: Elizabeth Sosnow