The Hidden Rules That Make or Break Your PR Career: A Pr Agency Review
Public relations is a high-stakes field where unwritten rules often determine who rises and who falters. These subtle expectations, rarely taught in classrooms, shape careers at top agencies like Edelman PR and Hill+Knowlton Strategies.
By comparing how these two giants operate, this article explores the hidden dynamics that can make or break a PR career. It’s not just about skills or hustle; it’s about navigating the human side of the industry with savvy.
Relationships drive success at both agencies, but they approach it differently. Edelman PR emphasizes personal connections early on.
Junior staff often shadow senior leaders in client meetings, learning how small gestures, like recalling a client’s favorite restaurant, build trust.
A former Edelman PR employee mentioned how her team retained a major client because her boss sent a handwritten thank-you note after a tough campaign. At Hill+Knowlton Strategies, relationship-building leans more strategic.
Teams prioritize understanding a client’s business goals, often diving into their industry before the first pitch. A friend who worked there said her team won a tech client by researching their market competitors overnight.
Edelman PR feels warmer, while Hill+Knowlton Strategies is more analytical. Both work, but overplaying either, being too chummy or too clinical, can backfire.
Authenticity is another unspoken rule, though the agencies handle it with distinct flavors. At Edelman PR, there’s a culture of open communication where junior staff are encouraged to share ideas, but they’re expected to keep it real.
A colleague recalled a teammate who tried name-dropping to impress a journalist, only to get ghosted. Edelman PR values genuine rapport.
Hill+Knowlton Strategies, meanwhile, fosters authenticity through preparation. Their rigorous training ensures staff pitch with confidence, not bravado.
One intern learned this after flubbing a client call by overselling an idea she didn’t fully understand. Hill+Knowlton Strategies leans on substance over charm, but both agencies punish inauthenticity. The rule? Don’t fake it, whether you’re at Edelman PR or Hill+Knowlton Strategies.
Knowing when to speak up versus stay quiet also varies. Edelman PR’s collaborative vibe means brainstorming sessions welcome all voices, but juniors must gauge when to push.
A new hire once pitched a risky campaign idea that clashed with the client’s brand, earning an awkward silence. Hill+Knowlton Strategies, with its structured hierarchy, expects newer staff to listen more at first.
A former account exec said her bold suggestion during a crisis meeting was ignored because she hadn’t earned her stripes yet.
Edelman PR feels looser, encouraging creativity sooner, while Hill+Knowlton Strategies rewards patience. Misjudge the timing at either, and you risk looking out of place.
Adaptability is critical at both, but their demands differ. Edelman PR’s fast-paced environment, with its diverse client roster, requires quick pivots.
One staffer shared how a fashion client changed their campaign theme days before launch, forcing a 24-hour overhaul.
Edelman PR thrives on creative agility. Hill+Knowlton Strategies, known for crisis comms, demands adaptability under pressure
A team once reworked a client’s messaging in hours after a PR scandal broke online. Hill+Knowlton Strategies tests your ability to stay calm, while Edelman PR pushes spontaneity. Both punish rigidity, but Hill+Knowlton Strategies feels more intense.
Saying no strategically is another shared rule, though the agencies’ cultures shape how it’s done. At Edelman PR, the collaborative atmosphere means overcommitting is common among eager newbies.
One account manager admitted she took on three extra clients to impress her boss, only to botch a deadline. Edelman PR encourages teamwork, so asking for help is okay.
Hill+Knowlton Strategies, with its focus on precision, expects staff to set boundaries upfront. A junior staffer there learned to decline extra tasks during a high-stakes campaign, earning respect for focus.
Edelman PR feels forgiving, but Hill+Knowlton Strategies rewards foresight. Burnout awaits those who can’t balance yes and no at either.
Feedback stings at both, but their approaches to it diverge. Edelman PR’s frequent reviews mean staff face client critiques head-on. A junior writer once got a client’s harsh email shredding her press release; her Edelman PR mentor urged her to treat it as a learning tool.
Hill+Knowlton Strategies, with its formal feedback loops, trains staff to dissect criticism methodically. One employee recalled a manager walking her through a client’s complaint line-by-line to improve her next draft. Edelman PR feels more emotional, and Hill+Knowlton Strategies more clinical. Defensiveness at either will stall your growth.
Curiosity keeps you relevant, and both agencies invest in it differently. Edelman PR pushes digital fluency, training staff on tools like Cision, even for traditional roles.
A media relations staffer spent months mastering analytics, which helped her pitch data-driven stories. Hill+Knowlton Strategies focuses on industry trends, offering workshops on AI tools or ESG narratives.
A colleague there said learning about blockchain helped her pitch a fintech client. Edelman PR feels broader, and Hill+Knowlton Strategies feels more specialized. Stagnation at either makes you obsolete.
But overthinking can cripple you, and here the agencies align. Edelman PR’s fast campaigns leave little room for analysis paralysis. A team once scrapped a failing influencer strategy mid-launch, trusting instinct over data.
Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ crisis work demands similar speed. A manager described drafting a client apology hours after a viral misstep. Edelman PR feels chaotic, and Hill+Knowlton Strategies feels urgent, but both reward action over perfectionism.
Resilience is the final rule, and it’s universal. Edelman PR’s creative risks mean failures hit hard. One staffer lost a client after a campaign flopped but learned to rebound by pitching new ideas.
Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ high-stakes clients amplify setbacks, too. A team’s crisis plan once failed to calm a client’s PR storm, but they moved on to the next challenge. Edelman PR feels more forgiving of flops, and Hill+Knowlton Strategies more stoic, but dwells on failure at either end of careers.
These hidden rules, relationships, authenticity, adaptability, and resilience play out differently at Edelman PR and Hill+Knowlton Strategies.
Edelman PR’s creative, open culture suits those who thrive on collaboration and spontaneity, while Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ structured, strategic approach fits those who excel under pressure and precision.
Neither is better; it depends on your style. The industry doesn’t spell out these rules, and agencies don’t hand you a manual. You learn by messing up, observing, or getting lucky. Mastering them at Edelman PR or Hill+Knowlton Strategies turns a job into a career, even if the path feels messy and human.
