Networking helps—but building a PR community is even better

For the past 16 months, we’ve all been riding the COVID rollercoaster. None of us chose to get on board, but nevertheless we were forced to deal with the highs and lows, the sudden drops and sharp turns of the pandemic.

Now, it seems like the ride might finally be slowing down. Before we step off for good, we should take a moment to look around and figure out how our world has changed, and how we’ve changed along with it.

The pandemic transformed every aspect of our lives. For many of us, the most severe reversals took place at work, with thousands of people losing their jobs. I suffered that blow myself in March 2020, when the corporate organization I worked for reduced marketing & PR positions across the country.

As soon as I lost my job, I began the hunt for a new one. I figured the tech industry was most likely to weather the pandemic storm, so I started my search there. During the early days of lockdown, however, I discovered that not even the bullish tech sector was immune to the COVID slump. Startups and PR agencies announced layoffs, and soon a talented pool of people was competing with me for new jobs.