The inspiration for this article came from my impending move from a PR agency to a senior communications role in-house at a higher education institution, a move that’s raised a few eyebrows from some of my agency colleagues. Many were quick to say that I was too dynamic for an in-house environment, that I’ll find myself shackled by bureaucracy and will miss the professional plate-spinning so typical of agency life.
This got me thinking about the perceptions in the PR industry of the two sides of the fence, a debate as old as the sector itself.
The perception of a move in-house, particularly to a public sector environment, is that people are selling out for the perks; trading the creativity and variety offered by agency work for a more comfortable setting. These roles are often viewed as the endgame – what you do when you want to wind down, rather than the pursuit of an ambitious PR in the early stages of their career. A career move of this nature is seen to be driven by a desire to clock off at 5pm (and not check your inbox until 9am) and spend your working day planning your next holiday (afforded by your generous leave package) and attending endless meetings. All of the above is punctuated by regular tea breaks, of course.
Many in the agency-til-I-die camp will argue that in-house roles are repetitive, bureaucratic, convoluted and uncreative. These roles are seen as plagued by politics, with decision-making seen as arduous and slowed by too many cooks. In contrast, PR agency work is seen to be more diverse, fast-paced, creative and autonomous, with direct lines of communication to decision-makers.
As someone who spent the first few years of my career in-house, I can accept that there are some truths in the stereotypes. There are certainly in-house settings in which I’ve worked that have been highly corporate. Likewise, my experience of agency life has lived up to the stereotype, with an interesting and varied workload, scope to think outside the box and a flexible, informal and imaginative culture.
But these experiences have by no means defined the roles. Where there was frustration in-house, there were also great campaigns and successes, not to mention greater resources and more opportunities for development and recognition from senior staff. Likewise, in agency, where there was dynamism and a free reign, there were also clients who’ve operated in hierarchical and stuffy environments.
Underlying the two camps is a flawed belief that it takes a certain type of person to work agency-side and an altogether different type to work in-house. The agency PR is seen as someone who relishes juggling 50 tasks at once, who can have five successive phone conversations on as many subject matters. In contrast, the in-house PR, is someone who likes predictability, specialisation and a slower pace.
The biggest irk in all of this for me, is that the two spheres are seen to be mutually exclusive, with little thought for the grey areas in-between. I thought long and hard about my next career move. I wanted to find a role which offered the best of both worlds – everything I love about agency married with the benefits offered by a big organisation. For me, compromising on high-profile, newsworthy and varied content was absolutely not an option.
So, by moving to a role where I’ll cover more than ten completely different portfolio areas – all clients in their own right – I’m ticking the variety box. Similarly, by choosing a renowned institution that has world-leading content and staff, I’m ensuring I’m not compromising in terms of quality.
The key to all of this is that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to agency versus in-house, both in terms of the roles and the people who fill them. The key is finding a good fit for you. And who wants to be a one-trick pony anyway? I’d sooner regret the things I’ve done than those I haven’t. And if that means dotting between agency and in-house a few more times in my career, well I’m open-minded to that, too.
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