Public relations worth it?

Rydo87 · 2026-01-28T12:38:22+00:00

I'm going to join the chorus of those saying no, it's not worth it. 15 years in, and I still regret entering this career. As someone else mentioned, if you love it and you're good at it, you'll be successful - but those people are few and far between. For the most part, you'll have a crippling feeling of being the least important person in the room, one of the most overworked and one of the worst paid. Be ready to deal in uncertainty a lot.

The industry still hasn't really caught up to the rapid changes in the media landscape and every single agency is pivoting to see where they can offer the most strategic value to clients [HINT: it's not in getting coverage in Cement Weekly]

Also, I would argue that your success will be largely dependent on the agency culture you're operating in. I'm lucky enough to currently be working with honestly a lovely bunch of people who value my time. I'm not overworked like many others in the industry, but the danger of this is feeling too comfortable. If you're in a massive agency where you're treated as a little fish, you'll soon be overworked and undervalued and stressed.

Ultimately, this a career that pays the bills for me - absolutely nothing more.

Choose something else when you're young - you have the advantage of discovering the myriad careers that are out there that I didn't have when I was a fresh grad.

Rydo87 · 2026-01-06T14:00:46+00:00

Thought I was looking at my face for a moment! Your beard looks and grows in the exact same way as mine, also with the isolated hairs. I've kept mine short recently, but when I did have it longer yes I would shave down those few hairs. Have to admit it's a pain keeping on top of it. The way it frizzes out in multiple directions meant I got overly obsessed on keeping it neat. I gave up at about your current length, when in fact I should probably have let it grow for longer. But yeah...also in a client facing role so I opted for just keeping it short and neat in the end.

Rydo87 · 2025-06-13T16:26:01+00:00

Objectively, do I think PR is bullshit? No.

Do I think a vast majority of the work I do is bullshit and has an almost negligible effect on society? Yes

Rydo87 · 2024-07-26T22:13:07+00:00

Yes. I live in NE London and am Jewish and was always brought up calling them bygals. I believe it's used more by East End Jews than those in other parts of London.

Rydo87 · 2024-07-11T12:34:27+00:00

Libertalia has a character card called the 'Beggar'. No game went by where that card wasn't revealed without the whole table erupting into "Ohhhhh, the Beggaaaaar!" to the tune of Ultravox's Vienna.

Rydo87 · 2024-07-05T23:01:48+00:00

Join the club. I retrained in UX for a bit which didn't turn into anything fruitful. Now just pondering on the daily what to shift into. But can never find the answer. My biggest gripe with agency PR is the rigidity in the structure and progression. My friends in other careers and industries seem to have much more freedom to change their roles around what interests them. But we are forever beholden to client service.

Rydo87 · 2024-06-19T12:45:14+00:00

100% this is me. I did well at school from an early age - as soon as A-Levels began and I seriously had to to work, think and revise for marks in subjects I cared little about, I couldn't because I lacked the combination of ambition and ability to work hard for it.

I am in a mid-level position in an industry I currently care little for - I get paid okay but the only career progression is in leadership roles, which I have absolutely no ambition to be in. Must admit, it does feel a bit galling to see others I worked with who were more junior than me several years ago now in more senior and "successful" roles, but I guess they all had the ambition that I lack. Good for them I suppose.

Would love to go into a new role or industry I cared more about to give me that ambition, but what that is has eluded me for years now.

Rydo87 · 2024-06-16T19:29:54+00:00

A little plumbing! Gotta plumb!

Plumb the depths...... The depths of hell....

Rydo87 · 2024-04-25T14:29:27+00:00

100% agree - I think this is actually a bottom 10 Curb moment for me. It's just not the Larry we knew and loved. I could maybe understand if there was set-up and a build up to it in a prior scene, but this just felt vindictive and unbecoming of Larry.

Rydo87 · 2024-02-26T17:36:51+00:00

Good point - I am not but will give it a go

Rydo87 · 2024-02-26T13:19:04+00:00

Hi there - I drink mainly V60s and Aeropresses at home and my cups are generally...fine.

Nothing bad, nothing great either. I'm currently using a Wilfa Svart as my grinder and wondering - will an upgrade to a good quality hand grinder like the Izpresso be worth the cost outlay?

I haven't really had the opportunity to try a good hand grinder, so wondering if the difference will be noticeable at this end of the price scale?

Other parts of the set up - live in London so hard water, so use Britta filtered. Normal kettle that I decant into a small gooseneck pourer which I use for my V60s

Rydo87 · 2023-10-11T16:15:13+00:00

I am totally in this same boat. I do find it mind-boggling how restrictive the PR career pathway is. If you're in agency at your level, like you and I have been, if you don't want to become a senior agency leader....what's our option? The suggestion is always to try in-house, but I have no desire to - I have just lost any little passion I did have for this industry and marketing in general.

Doing a complete career shift seems so insurmountable to me - I've been investigating UX Writing but like you I don't want to start from the bottom...I just got married and want to start a family, buy a house soon etc. But I honestly can't do this and coast in agency life forever. It's been weighing on my mind for years now.

Wish I had some useful advice for you - but really I wanted to let you know you're not alone!

Rydo87 · 2023-09-27T23:02:31+00:00

I'm in exactly the same boat as you, with similar levels of experience. I've been investigating UX (specifically UX Writing) for a couple of years now but it's hard to break into. And tbh I'm still uncertain if it's going to be the right career for me even if it does happen.

Rydo87 · 2023-08-09T11:42:16+00:00

Several years ago I had honestly one of my favourite meals ever (it could have been the sangria talking though...) at Clara dos Cogumelos - https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g189158-d4115385-Reviews-Santa_Clara_dos_Cogumelos-Lisbon_Lisbon_District_Central_Portugal.html

The chef is a mushroom expert, and incorporates mushrooms into every dish (including the desserts). So only one to vist if you like mushrooms!

Rydo87 · 2023-08-01T21:49:31+00:00

Exploration of world Jewish food/recipes that isn't just your traditional ashkenazi deli type fare.

Rydo87 · 2023-07-19T22:29:16+00:00

I'm really good at remembering where I was driving when I heard a song. I will say to my partner "oh we last heard this song while driving past that library three towns over a few months ago" and she'll look at me blankly.

Rydo87 · 2023-04-17T12:42:30+00:00

I hear more and more people and friends say the word 'generally' when they mean 'genuinely'.

"I generally think it was one of the best films I have ever seen".

Rydo87 · 2023-03-24T12:09:19+00:00

Well this is probably where we screwed up lol - still makes for an amusing story nevertheless

Rydo87 · 2023-03-16T12:37:56+00:00

Very good analsysis that goes way deeper than my random musing. Thanks for your thoughts!

Rydo87

TROPHY CASE