I believe it’s more beneficial for a new Public Relations practitioner to start his/her career in a PR firm. Usually entry-level PR practitioners will start off as assistant account executives. According to my Public Relations Strategies and Tactics textbook, entry level PR practitioners can be assistant account executives. These assistants do routine maintenance work such as compiling media files, gathering information, and writing rough drafts of news releases.
By being an assistant account executive, entry level PR practitioners are able to learn the firm’s procedures and show ability. Some of the disadvantages to starting out a career in a PR firm are that there is little opportunity for profit-sharing and stock options. Also, salary is usually low at entry-level. I thought it was interesting to for to prfirms.org and look for jobs that I would be interested in when I graduate. Check it out: look for PR jobs
Working at a PR firm can sometimes become extremely stressful. There can be intense daily pressure, and your coworkers will sometimes expect a lot out of you. When you enter into the PR world, be prepared to do a lot of work.
Some disadvantages of working in a PR department are that jobs are more difficult to find without experience. When working in a PR department, you are sometimes so involved in your work; there is little time for networking. Be able to network is a pretty big deal to me. I believe that you should love your job, but you should also be able to have time to yourself.
Some advantages in working in a PR department are that salaries tend to be higher and that benefits are usually good, if not excellent. Also there are more opportunities available verses a PR firm. There is less intense daily pressure when working in a PR department than in a PR firm. PR departments usually focus on long-term goals rather than short ones.
[...] http://caseycorley.wordpress.com/2010/06/03/pr-firms/ [...]