Have relationships trumped skills in the PR job search? |

Have relationships trumped skills in the PR job search?

Wed, Aug 17, 2011

I had a very interesting discussion on Twitter last week that was spurred by one tweet:

My opinion: As I said at last Thursday’s night’s pre-Alphabet Bash prezo, I believe relationships have officially trumped skills when it comes to the job search. In fact, during our Twitter conversation, I thought Danny Olson said it best:

That really nails it. Relationships open doors. Skills seal the deal. You definitely need both–I’m just saying relationships matter a helluva a lot more than most people think when it comes to getting employers to notice you in the job search phase.

Consider the following scenario.

You’re a midsized agency owner. You need to hire an account executive with 1-2 years experience. You post the job opening online and receive 100 resumes within a week. You want to bring in 5 candidates to interview. How do you boil down that list?

I’ll tell you one big way: relationships.

Here’s how the conversation goes between the agency owner and the other senior leaders:

“We should look at XXX–she’s the daughter of our XXX client.”

“What about XXX? I think XXXX knows her and always has great things to say about her.”

“I think we should bring XXX in. I met her at a PRSA event last year and she seemed really smart.”

“Definitely need to look at XXX. I worked with him at XXXX for 3 years. Super smart guy.”

If you don’t think those conversations happen, you’re flat-out kidding yourself.

What’s more, how does a resume stand out in a pile of 100? Quite simply, it doesn’t. Sure, some stand out more than others, sure. But I can virtually guarantee you that in that stack of 100 there are probably at least 20 that appear to be very similar. In this case, the future AE probably has great intern experience (with at least one agency), a list of volunteer activities and a list of accolades with their local PRSSA chapter.

Let’s look at this yet another way.

If we are going on skills and we are looking at resumes, how do I judge one person’s skill sets against another’s? Aren’t the skills somewhat “commoditized” in our industry? I mean, who’s to say candidate A writes a better press release or blog post than candidate B (within reason of course; I know there are basic writing skills here, I’m talking about comparing one good writer with another)? And by how much? Or, how do I know candidate C is such a better leader than candidate D? How do you measure that?

Short answer: You don’t. At least not with hard numbers–or a resume.

That’s where relationships come in. And the almighty power of a referral.

That’s how you get interviews. Relationships.

Agree? Think I’m crazy. Let’s have it out in the comments.

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Chrgrint 5 pts

As a guilty pleasure I secretly watch "Gossip Girl" re-runs through Hulu. Leighton Meester's character has become a professional of knowing who to know in order to get the position she wants. Now, I am not saying you need to be devious and sneaky (like her character), but the show makes a good point. If you want a certain position and you know your resume will look similar to twenty others then do a little research. Find out who it is that may be looking at or talking about the position, and figure a way to build a relationship. Follow them on Twitter, locate them on Linkedin, find out what networking events they are apart of. Set yourself apart from the pack.

With this, always be sure to remain genuine. The last thing anyone one wants is to be used for a position. Don't create a relationship (physical or virtual) unless you truly value their opinions and views.

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acmoore654 5 pts

So true. I'm a prime example of this! Plus, the PR community in the Twin Cities is so small. Relationships definitely get you in the door, but it's ultimately up to you to sell yourself and prove you have the skill set and strategic thinking ability to do the job the best. Great post!

ericajmoss 6 pts

This article is spot on, Arik! We do business with people we know, like and trust. Those making hiring decisions are no different. Knowing something extra about a candidate (I met them at a PRSA event, etc.) gives hiring managers a better frame of reference. Are they going to go with the complete unknown or a "sure thing"? The answer is clear. I'm hob hunting myself right now, and I haven't gotten a single interview that wasn't based on a referral. It's up to me to prove myself beyond that.

Marcus_Sheridan 578 pts

We now live in a business/PR world completely run by 'groups' and 'circles'. Skills are secondary. No doubt about it.The trend isn't going away, and I think it'll only get stronger. Good stuff Arik, I'm with you completely.

patrick.cusick 6 pts

In my experience, who you know is valuable; what you know and how you do it is critical. I think the trend now is towards hiring PR pros who come to the game with new business in hand. I've seen skillful PR pros passed over for former client-side marcom execs in the hopes that their former employers will follow them to the agency.

mebuell 5 pts

I think you're talking about apples (getting through the door) and oranges (staying there). Getting a job is one thing. Keeping a job and excelling at it is something completely different.

Think of people who interview very well, but when it comes time to deliver they fall short. If there's little substance behind the Rolodex, you are going to have a short and unsatisfying career (and, likely reflect poorly on the person who recommended you in the first place).

Krista 81 pts

Good observation and discussion--I agree that relationships are becoming more important as the job market is changing and managers are short on time to sort through a stack of resumes. I can attest to this truth as my current job was made possible entirely by a relationship with a friend who worked in my department previously. The department management valued her opinion of me so much that I got moved to the front of the line for interviews (where I then had to prove myself, of course).

However, I did have an experience where I landed my first agency job through Monster.com, of all things. I attribute that to the machine sorting my keywords and floating me to the top because they needed someone with Spanish-language skills and that had been my background up until then.

So, it could go either way, but I've recommended to friends who are in the job market to keep networking and meeting with their former colleagues and friends. You never know what a good recommendation will get you.

Shonali 1123 pts

I don't think you're crazy at all, Arik. I help a lot of people with their resumes, and I always caution them that if anything, the resume will just get them in the door. The real "work" begins after that.

Pretty much every job I've had, it was a relationship that led. Of course the resume was important too, but I don't believe I've had a single interview in my life that came my way simply because of the resume.