Rapid Reaction to Making up for lost time: What the PR class of 2021 is facing as the job search begins by PRWeek's Chris Daniels.
The COVID-19 pandemic plagued the world with tragedy, struggle, hardship and forced thought leaders to step outside of their comfort zones to innovate, create and adapt to an entirely new professional environment. The communications industry, specifically, faced challenges such as transitioning to remote work, cutting internship programs entirely and significantly reducing entry-level hiring. For the PR class of 2021, these realities heightened our already apprehensive emotions concerning the unpredictable nature of the working world we will enter come graduation. In Making up for lost time: What the PR class of 2021 is facing as the job search begins, author Chris Daniels presents the PR class of 2021’s current predicament with information from the various perspectives of agencies, associations, educators and recent graduates.
In both professional and academic settings, the PR class of 2021 will see new opportunities emerge for internships and entry-level positions this year. Employers have had the chance to rebuild programming, adjust to a virtual environment and consider the needs of their stakeholders. This year, many agencies plan to move forward with remote internship programs, with some offering as many as 70 new openings this summer. Furthermore, to prepare for new recruits, agencies plan to expand virtual offerings to include senior leader networking, mentorships, intern newsletters, more structured calendars, curated development opportunities, cross-functional internship projects and defined schedules for orientation and training sessions.
While the PR class of 2020 suffered consequences such as hiring freezes and limited internship opportunities out of companies’ fear of bringing new talent into a virtual world, the consequences the pandemic presents for the PR class of 2021 will look different. While many agencies have rebuilt job and internship opportunities for 2021 graduates, they will still be physically distanced from colleagues, bosses and clients during the onboarding process. Furthermore, office culture such as friendly comradery and mentorship-building will require new hires to put more effort into building relationships with their colleagues and in order to allow an easier transition into collaborations down the line. However, more companies are eager to fill their “pipeline” of junior-level talent this year, as Michael Olguin, CEO of Havas Formula points out that “Our internship program is the lifeline of our business… if you don’t fill your pipeline with talent at a junior level, they can never become senior people.” New hires in the class of 2021 will face the burdens that coincide with entering the workforce for the first time alongside navigating the virtual environment of their workplace.
However, it will not be impossible for the PR class of 2021 to excel in the virtual workplace if we strive to make the most of our situation. Graduating without a position right away can allow emerging PR professionals to join professional organizations, complete association and academic certificates, network with industry professionals and empower ourselves by working on personal projects. By remaining connected to the communications industry through these outlets, recent graduates will enter the workforce even more prepared than we would typically be right after graduation. For those of us who are entering the workforce immediately, the virtual workplace may be the optimal place to gain confidence in asking questions and making initial introductions without nerve-wracking face-to-face encounters. Adriana Castillo, Ketchum’s VP of talent acquisition, recommends that entry-level hires “lean in” to scheduling video meetings rather than phone calls in the first few months of a new position in order to show that you’re actively engaged in the work and to combat some of the physical presence that is often lost when employees aren’t in the office.
While the PR class of 2021 will enter a much different workforce than many generations that precede us, we have the opportunity to demonstrate our newly instilled self-motivation and adaptability derived from our virtual learning environment this past year.
Questions to consider:
What else can companies do to ensure new hires homogenize into their virtual workplace?
What challenges will companies face when determining talent to hire from their internship pools without having the connections and relationships that are made when employees are in the office?
What effects do the 2020 hiring freeze and internship cuts have on the PR class of 2021?
What other suggestions might help the PR class of 2021 excel as they enter the workforce this year?