With the recession creating more redundant PROs, how can they boost career prospects?

The worst of the recession may be over, but the aftershocks are going to be felt by many industries for a while to come. Obviously, this is affecting those working in PR. Stephen Waddington managing director at PR agency Speed, believes that unlike previous recessions, clients are continuing to spend on PR although tighter budgets are in force (despite some growth in digital areas). As well as having clients who have been hit by the recession, PR firms are having to deal with a struggling media industry, although as Waddington points out: "The media is a different story entirely. It is going through very serious structural changes. Even Rupert Murdoch has yet to work out a sustainable model."

Market and media changes are putting pressure on PR firms, and one way of relieving this pressure is to cut salaries. PR is a service industry that matches people to sales, which means staff costs are the only significant variable, so by adhering to basic ratios it should be simple to stay in profit. But if a business loses clients, as Waddington notes, “it needs to scrutinise its cost base to ensure that it is sustainable. Unfortunately, redundancies may result."

For those being made redundant, there may be the fear that somehow, future employers could consider them to be partly to blame for their job loss. However, Justin Kent, managing director of specialist PR and marketing recruitment consultancy PRJS, claims that this worry is without foundation. He says, “The economy went downhill so suddenly and so quickly that redundancies were inevitable. Everyone I talk to recognises that it is no fault of the PR professional if the brand they are working for slashes the PR budget for commercial reasons. The retail industry was hit very hard and many PROs exposed to it were made redundant, no stigma was or is attached.”

This does not mean that Kent does not recognise that for those affected by redundancy, there can be a feeling of failure: “Those that are made redundant, while recognising that redundancy was no reflection on their skills or efforts, still take it very personally. The overwhelming emotion is to not talk about it in great detail and to get back into a new job as soon as possible. When settled in a new role they become more open about what happened and evaluate it in a more objective manner.”

Being philosophical about the economy, and the reasons for being made redundant, is the best way to move forward, and it seems that this is recognised by most. Kent adds: “Interestingly, the vast majority of those made redundant bear no ill will to the company or individual boss that made them redundant. They can see what's happening across the country and know that no job is guaranteed.”

Denise Taylor, chartered psychologist, career coach at Amazing People and author of How to Get a Job in a Recession, offers tips for PROs facing redundancy:

1. See this as a chance to take stock – not many people love their job so work out what you would like to do: change company, switch career, do something radically different?

2. Remember, you are more than your skills – unpick your underlying skills and experience to help identify something new. Think about what you enjoy, how can you get more of that into your job?

3. Get your CV refreshed – whatever you decide to do people will ask for a CV, so take time to include recent achievements, not just a list of tasks, and get someone to review it for you.

4. Get talking to people – most people find a new job through someone they know, so let everyone know what you are looking for, and make sure you can say it succinctly. Practice saying it out loud.

5. Be creative – use your creative skills to identify opportunities and to create different approaches, treat the job search as a PR campaign with you as the client.

6. Keep focused – it may take time to get your next job, but don't give up! Look for people to support you, and make sure your job search campaign is as effective as any PR campaign you have managed.