6 Reasons a Boutique Agency Might be the Right Choice for Your Next Job
By Samantha Gonda
We’ve all heard the age-old saying that size doesn’t matter, but when it comes to choosing the right public relations agency, it really does. And spoiler alert: a smaller boutique agency might just be the best choice for you, career-wise.
As PR professionals, we get to not only choose what industry we would like to specialize in, but also at what kind of agency we would like to work. Even though working in a large agency comes with a lot of its own perks, joining a smaller boutique firm can be incredibly advantageous for recent graduates and mid-level associates seeking to advance their career.. Below are 5 reasons why working in a boutique agency might be a better fit for you.
1. Less Bureaucracy
Say goodbye to having to ‘run it up the flagpole.’ At a boutique PR agency, the struggle of asking your boss a question, who then has to ask their boss, who then asks their boss the same question is simply not an issue. “Communication at all levels is always encouraged,” says Maggie Medoff of WordWritePR, in Pittsburgh PA. At smaller agencies, you’ll be much less likely to deal with the friction and messy politics found at large firms. And while a boss who doesn’t let their interns make eye contact with them can be infuriating for any intern, these messy bureaucratic standards have been shown to negatively impact business as well.
2. Better Team Dynamics
“At boutique PR agencies, you’re not just a number,” says Maggie Medoff, “There’s a lot of time and effort that goes into getting to know each other, and that includes the executive leadership. They’ve gone out of their way to get to know everyone’s interests and backgrounds and engage with everyone on a daily basis.”
Working in a smaller agency will often, as expected, produce more intimate experiences and closer relationships within your own team. But it also creates an environment to get to know your own CEO on a more personal level. On top of that, you will even create a relationship with clients. This perk of having a happy work environment won’t just work as a bonus in your life, but also your employers as positive work cultures have been shown to be more productive.
Although it is completely possible to have a happy work environment in large agencies, it isn’t always the case. In large agency settings, coworkers can often become competitive with other employees and even other members of the same team. In boutique agencies, coworkers at all levels support one another and help each other thrive because they know that the better the whole team is doing, the better the company is doing.
3. Broadening Skills
When working at a smaller agency, no assignment is too big or too small. While this could be frustrating for some, it’s liberating for others. “I’m not in a box or limited to only work on certain aspects of the business,” says Trey Adams of WordWritePR, “If there’s ever something that I’d like to learn more about or work on, I always have the support of my colleagues to move forward and try new things.” After interviewing several PR professionals from boutique agencies, it’s become abundantly clear that the encouragement towards continuous learning has tremendously increased their human capital and overall happiness in the workforce. And if you don’t want to take my word for it, this research conducted by LinkedIn shows that people who learn at work are 21% happier than those who don’t.
4. Independence
One of the major perks of working at a smaller agency is the ability to spearhead your own creative ideas. “There’s a lot of trust that you know what you’re doing,” says Rose Lock of Midnight Communications in Brighton, UK.
And depending on your own experiences and schema, trusting coworkers may seem like a given. However, a recent survey indicates that many full-time workers don’t trust their companies.
At boutique PR firms, you will have the trust to work on projects and support straight from the executive level whenever necessary. “Being on a smaller team and getting more time with senior colleagues helped me learn a lot quite quickly. I got more responsibilities and a bigger range of tasks very early on,” continued Rose Lock.
This may seem a bit counterintuitive to perk number 2, Better Team Dynamics, but in many ways Independence and Better Team Dynamics are deeply connected. By working in such a tight knit group, everyone learns each other’s strengths and weaknesses and supports one another by helping each other sharpen skills and learn new functions of the business. This leads to trusting each other’s work without micromanagement.
5. Making an Impact
Employees at boutique PR agencies hold more individual responsibility for the success of the business. And in turn, the work gets noticed more. “Our work gets recognized and the team always cheers and appreciates you,” notes Ishita Shah of Nucleus PR while discussing the major differences of working at a boutique agency versus her experience at large agencies.
From the connections you create to the words you write, your work will matter. When a project you work on doesn’t quite come together as you envisioned, you’ll have the support of the executive level to learn from the mistakes and continue on. And when your projects are successful, you’ll be thankful that you chose to work for a boutique public relations firm where you can see your ideas become a reality.
6. Gaining Confidence
One of the greatest facets you’ll notice from working at a boutique PR agency is a tremendous growth in self-confidence. By working closely among your team members and the higher-ups of your agency from the start, you’ll know more than you realize simply from the exposure and support that comes from working at a smaller-sized PR agency. “You’re confident in yourself to know that you understand what has to be done and the timeline it needs to be done within. There’s no time to be scared or self-doubt,” says Natalie Medved of Pace Public Relations, “You learn to trust yourself and your team no matter the role or task, you know that you can and will get it done.”
If you’re interested in starting a career at a boutique PR agency, visit this link to see the wide range of locations and specializations available through PR Boutiques International.
Meet The Experts
Maggie Medoff is an account coordinator at WordWrite in Pittsburgh, PA, and she recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, listening to podcasts and exploring new restaurants and attractions around the city.
Trey Adams is a 2021 Penn State graduate who currently works as a digital marketing specialist for WordWrite, located in Pittsburgh, PA. In his role, Trey works with the firm’s clients to manage their paid and organic digital marketing campaigns, create engaging content, and conduct research to implement best industry practices.
Ishita Shah, with a total of 11 years of experience in PR, currently works as an Account Head at Nucleus PR, located in Bengaluru, India. In her role, she manages client servicing and strategies.
Rose Lock studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield and trained as a journalist. She previously worked as a regional reporter at The Argus newspaper before moving into PR at Midnight Communications in Brighton. Her varied role as Senior Account Executive involves interviewing clients and building communications plans, drafting news releases, comments and social copy, plus lots of pitching and liaising with journalists.
Natalie Medved is an account manager and Head of Broadcast for Pace Public Relations in New York City. She started at PPR as an intern in 2016 and has focused on broadcast outreach for clients since day one. Currently, Natalie manages the day-to-day pitching to cable broadcast networks and news radio stations. Natalie was a recipient of 2018’s PRNews Rising PR Star award for her work in propelling clients’ presence in the media. She is an alumna of Penn State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in public relations.