PR competence vs. experience -- which is more important?

There's a question being asked on a LinkedIn public relations network that's of interest and worth comment.  Thanks to Judy Gombita in Toronto for alerting me to it.  Judy is a contributing writer at PR Conversations.

So here’s the question, as asked by Joe Klimavich, a public relations consultant and on the Adjunct Faculty of the Communication Department at Worcester State College, Worcester, Mass.

Which is more important: PR Competency or Industry Experience?

Anyone who has a degree or an advanced degree in professional communications and public relations has developed a range of skills that are universal to performing well in just about any industry.  That is certainly one objective of PRSA accreditation: to demonstrate public relations acumen and judgment across multiple disciplines.

Yet, it is often the case when you read job listings, that the employer requires experience working in their particular industry.  (It frustrates the heck out of my students, who often ask: "How can I gain experience in that industry if they won't hire me in the first place?"

Good question, Joe. This is a dilemma that's troubled young 
graduates in many fields, not only public relations.

Education is always important, but a degree in Public Relations or a PRSA credential is not at all necessary, or even much of a plus in terms of being able to do well in the public relations field. All things being equal, I would take a candidate with a degree in public relations over one with a degree in another field.  And I might take someone with a p.r. credential over someone with none, if that were the only difference between two otherwise equal candidates.

I have an MBA in Public Relations, albeit from some 30 years ago. What they taught us then may 
be very different from what's covered now.

But public relations is a field where common sense, analytic skills, some imagination and 
creativity are the key skills, plus the ability to write. All else can be learned on the job. 
And I don't know if common sense can be taught, after all.

I wouldn't expect an entry-level person (even with a B.A. in P.R.) to come out of school knowing 
all there is to know about p.r. They may know a lot from their textbooks and lectures, but the real 
learning is on-the-job.

When hiring someone right out of school, I look for the extracurricular things they've done. 
Have they taken leadership roles in campus activities? Were they involved with the school 
newspaper or the campus radio station? What sort of summer jobs -- or internships -- did they 
have? It's a plus if they've had a professional blog, so I can see how they think and how they 
write.

If they have a PRSA certification, that would be included in the mix, but would not be the deciding factor.

For people with some work experience, once again the certification won't mean much to me if 
I'm hiring. The real test will be in what they've done at previous jobs, plus seeing samples of 
releases and pitches they've written.    

So, in answer to Joe's question... for this public relations professional, Experience trumps 
Competency.  Get the education, get the "proof" of competency if you want, but you'll still have 
to show me what you've done and what you've learned from your experience -- even if that 
experience has been campus activities, internships and summer jobs. 

If you're still in school, you can get that experience, as I've suggested above.  New grads, 
find that entry-level job doing the grunt work while you learn, prove yourself and work 
your way up.

Above all, have patience.

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