How to Get Hired at a B2B Tech PR Agency

We are hiring for a PR account director and account supervisor, which means I am looking at a lot of resumes. I’m not using AI or an Applicant Tracking System to parse them. I am looking at each application one-by-one, old-school. I thought I’d share some insights in case it helps others get the role they are looking for and helps us find ‘the one’ (or actually two).

We want you to get the job

That’s why we provide guidance in the job description about how to apply. We also have some screening questions before you submit which are going to give a strong indication of what we are looking for. We are a B2B PR and marketing agency for AI companies. We ask whether candidates have a deep understanding of B2B technology. If the answer is ‘No’, then the application starts at a disadvantage to those who can say ‘Yes’.

Roles like these are very specialized

It is very clear who has worked in B2B tech PR. That may be thousands of people, but it is not tens of thousands. These folks know exactly what the role entails and have done it before. That will shine through in their resume. Agencies do recruit from outside the industry – of course they do – but it is from sectors that are highly adjacent. So someone who has done healthcare PR might do tech PR, but it’s unlikely a lifestyle consumer publicist would fit. Just as most B2B tech specialists would struggle in consumer lifestyle.

The right candidates will know before applying

I’m sure there are exceptions, but there is little point ‘lobbing in a resume, just in case’. We are looking for people who have done PR, at an agency, for B2B companies. If you don’t check those boxes, the role is unlikely to be a good fit. Roles at successful agencies working with the right types of clients are highly sought after and very competitive. Think of an agency like a sports team, looking for a specific position on the squad. Those people know who they are.

List your clients

Be proud of the work you have done and name the clients you have worked with. We will absolutely look for that and want to map them to our roster. If you have worked with a competitor of one of our clients, that will really help. Even if not, we will know those companies and be able to map the style of their campaigns to the ones we run. You are not breaking any confidentiality rules by saying who you have worked with, except in very rare circumstances.

Don’t overstate your experience

One of our screening questions asks how many years you have spent working in a PR agency. You would be amazed at how many people claim experience they don’t have. It won’t land you the role and it certainly won’t help you be successful in it.

Geography matters

We are headquartered in San Francisco, California. Although we work remotely, we often get together as a team and with clients. We will absolutely prioritize candidates who live locally, so make sure that is clear. Equally when we hire staff for fully remote positions, we must register within that state for payroll taxes, unemployment contributions etc. As a small business, we are registered in the key states with strong tech hubs and large talent pools. If you are not in a state with a big tech scene, we may need to register there. Totally doable, but it adds to cost and administration, so it’s a factor. The key to landing a role is to have as many plus points as possible.

Keep your cover letter short

We give people the option, but I like a cover letter. A short one that sounds like you – not obviously written by AI. Two, maybe three paragraphs. Paragraphs, not pages.

Share your portfolio

Show us the coverage you have secured and the press materials you have written or produced. Those are actually more impactful than SOV metrics that the campaign as a whole delivered. We’re not hiring the whole team, we’re hiring you. So absolutely include those outcome metrics, but deliverables and outputs are valuable proof points.

Apply once

Some folks apply, and then a few days later… they apply again! It’s fine to be keen, but we promise we saw it.

Good luck! It is a privilege to create new roles and to offer bright career opportunities to people. I hope this advice helps land an amazing role in tech PR. I’m certainly looking forward to working with two of you.