The Challenges for the Next Generation of PR Pros

While growing up in Marion, Ohio, a variety of careers appealed to Alyson Hoffman.

“My dream jobs spanned from wanting to become a NASCAR driver to becoming a high school guidance counselor to becoming a television news broadcaster,” said Hoffman, a senior at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio.

Hoffman is serving as PRSSA’s president for the 2022-23 school year, so you likely know what career path she decided on — and in a big way as a public relations, communications, and marketing triple major.

“I knew I wanted to work in a profession where I could help others, as I loved listening to people’s stories. Public speaking opportunities have been part of my life since I was little. I enjoyed those opportunities, as they came naturally to me,” said Hoffman, whose twin sister Andrea is president of PRSSA’s Ohio Northern Chapter. “My family suggested I look into a career field that allowed me to maximize my gifts and talents, hence my decision to pursue a major in communications and public relations.”

I recently had the chance to interview her for Profiles in PR, our monthly Q&A in Strategies & Tactics. I asked Hoffman how her classmates and PRSSA members feel about the job hunt and life after graduation — entering an in-flux work world currently marked by fully remote and hybrid schedules.

“A unique challenge upcoming graduates face today is determining whether they want to work from home or head into an office setting, as the traditional 9-to-5 set schedule is no longer,” she said. “Students must decide what structure and time setting work best for them.”

It was a great conversation, and I wanted to hear more about Alyson’s work with PRSSA and the challenges and opportunities for the next generation of communications professionals. So please join the two of us on the next Strategies & Tactics Live on Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. ET. 

S&T Live, which takes readers deeper into stories covered in the paper, debuted in February on PRSA’s LinkedIn page, where you can access our first eight episodes. 

You can head to this link for the Q&A with Alyson.

Rethinking workplace culture

Elsewhere in the issue, we explore work culture, an especially timely topic as we continue to emerge from the pandemic — hopefully with greater knowledge and experience on how to build on what we learned about over the past two-plus years. 

Given the well-documented struggle with uncertainty and changing public health guidelines, many workers faced personal isolation and the loss of interpersonal connectivity and interaction. 

And companies haven’t always responded in kind. A recent Gallup survey suggests workers are increasingly bothered by a lack of clarity about expectations, fewer opportunities to grow and not feeling cared about — hence the growth of “quiet quitting.” In her Hire & Seek column, Christina Stokes explores the trend in which workers have chosen to reject the hustle culture that has dominated conversations around work and career for decades.

Elsewhere, agency CEO Nicole Morgan, APR, offers insights on attracting and retaining talent in a new workplace era while Bridget Castellini provides tips on incorporating fun into the workplace — something many of us will welcome!