PRWEEK
April 24, 2000
Experienced DC-area pros turn temp
By Phil RabinWashington, DC
As if the hiring crunch at DC and Northern Virginia
agencies isn't severe enough, a growing number of mid-
to senior-level PR professionals are turning to part-
time work.
According to Kate Perrin, head of DC-based PR temp
placement firm PRofessional Solutions, this represents
a major change from a few years ago, when the temp
field was populated by less-experienced people looking
to break into the profession. Part of the reason for this,she believes, is that many experienced practitioners
have reached a stage in their lives where they haveother priorities, while other "retired" pros still want
to remain involved with PR in a limited capacity.
A third reason for the shift may be that the vibrant
PR market has made it easier for less-experienced
people who want full-time work to find it. In fact,
Perrin said the current PR boom climate has reducedher stable of PR temps significantly; a few years ago,
she had about 75 "associates", but that figure has
since dropped to about 50.
According to Perrin, the DC region has a greater need
for PR temps than other major markets because of the
city's large base of professional associations. "Associations
are the heaviest users of [PR temps]," she said, adding
that the Chicago temp market is also booming.
To ease the administrative aspects of temping as well
as to reach additional companies that may need her
services, Perrin's company has just launched PRstaffing.com,
a Web site that provides information about the company's
history and client roster, in-depth client profiles and
links to PR and business resources.
HOME COMPANY PROFILE SERVICES CLIENTS FOR JOB SEEKERS WHAT'S NEW CONTACT US RESOURCES