What's the job market like for the brand new PR professional?

By Asia Thompson

Who's Hiring? That is the question I have been asking myself a lot lately. I am a senior public relations student, which means that in about 6 months I will be out there looking for a job. This is the time when having a strategy to find one is most important. Especially when jobs seem to be becoming more and more elusive.

We all know the economy is in bad shape, but how bad is it for communicators? And most importantly, how bad is it for brand new ones?

According to Michael Sebastian from MyRagan.com, the outlook this quarter is pretty grim, but that doesn't mean it will be that way in May. I tell myself not to give up hope, because that is a silver lining. And isn't that all we really need? If there is one thing I have learned this year it is that hope prevails. And According to Nicole Kieta, a recruiter from Melinda Holm & Associates the market will pick up again after the New Year. She says, "it always does."

Well, that's all well and good, but what's a brand new PR professional to do? In a tight economy, how many companies will be looking for fresh faces? My assumption is not many, but some will. So how do I find the companies that are willing to hire? And most importantly how do I stand out enough for them to notice me?

I turned to my mentor Lina Duverge, Corporate Communications Manager at Lifetime Television Network with this question. She says, "New grads should rely on their reputation. They should acquire recommendation letters from previous employers, join Linkedin and even cold call companies." She also advised to go on informative interviews, because it's a good way of letting companies of interest know you exist. Getting in touch with recruiters and headhunters isn't a bad idea either, because some companies only hire through them.

After much research and advice I've come to the conclusion that finding a job in my field after graduation won't be impossible, but it will be hard work; especially if this economy doesn't turn around.

The most important thing for me and other new graduates to do, no matter how bad the economy, is to persevere. We can't let this grim market get us down. In the words of my mentor, "The tide will turn, just like it has in the past." It will not be this way forever. Now, THAT'S a silver lining!