Courtesy Weber Shandwick
- The second-biggest public relations agency Weber Shandwick has high-profile clients and wins a lots of industry awards, making it a sought-after place to work, with about 2,200 people applying per month in the US alone.
- PR recruiters who have worked with Weber, former employees, and Weber's head of recruiting in North America gave tips on how to get a job there using its internship program and employee referrals.
- They also advised applicants on how to study up on company culture.
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Interpublic Group's Weber Shandwick is the second biggest public relations agency, with offices around the world and clients like Budweiser and Ancestry.
The agency locked down the most wins at PRWeek's 2019 Global Awards, had its strongest year ever at the 2019 Clio Awards with 14 wins, was named global agency of the year at the Holmes Report's 2019 Global Sabre Awards, and was on Ad Age's 2019 list of best places to work.
PR jobs are abundant, but it takes special skills, research, and, often, connections to land a job at a top agency like Weber. Weber's hiring team receives about 2,200 applications per month for its US offices alone, according to Jean Lee Swagert, the EVP who leads HR and recruiting for the agency in North America.
Business Insider talked to seven people - Swagert, former employees, and external recruiters who have worked with Weber - about how to get a foot in the door.
Weber's internship is a funnel for entry-level talent
Weber has a three-month summer internship position that can lead to full-time employment, said former employees who were involved with internship recruitment.
Application requirements differ by role and office. For instance, applicants to Weber's Atlanta office are asked to submit a resume, cover letter, and optional writing samples, while New York applicants had to submit a resume and respond to a writing prompt.
Jori Saeger, a former Weber digital content manager who ran the Seattle intern hiring program from around 2011 to 2013, said nearly every entry-level employee started as an intern during her time there.
Dan Lee, a managing director at recruiting firm PR Talent and former VP at Weber's Seattle office, said interns who performed well were often asked to stay on for an additional three months, working a total of about six months before they were considered for full-time positions.
But the internship is competitive, and even though candidates are fresh out of college, Weber expects them to have PR experience.
"Weber Shandwick and a lot of big agencies never wanted to be your first internship," Saeger said. "They wanted to be your last internship before you get hired full-time."
Bryan Saxton, who interned with Weber's global technology practice in 2011, said although he didn't have agency experience, he presented a portfolio of PR work he did for University of Oregon student groups and articles he wrote for his student paper when he interviewed there.
"Everybody took the time to walk through that with me," Saxton said. "I got the sense that they thought it was valuable."
Referrals help higher-level candidates get noticed
Like many companies, Weber relies on employee recommendations, and rewards employees for making successful referrals. In addition to PR experience, Weber looks for candidates with a variety of skills including data scientists, UX designers, integrated media experts, and healthcare specialists, Swagert said.
Lee said he referred about half a dozen people for jobs while at Weber, and they typically got interviews within a week of being referred.
"They can circumvent the entire process," Lee said. "If you're going to put someone forward internally, you're putting your reputation on the line."
Other former employees said applicants should establish a relationship with the employee before asking them for a referral. Saeger said she appreciates when candidates draft referral emails on her behalf that include their qualifications and a resume.
Learn about Weber's culture and check your ego
Weber has a highly collaborative work culture, which is reflected in the hiring process, former employees said.
"Be prepared for a higher number of interviews depending on the role," said Brooke Shepard, a former EVP who worked at Weber for 16 years before leaving in February. "That plays into the collaborative and consensus-driven approach."
Weber also uses what it calls job "auditions" to vet candidates, Swagert said, which could include writing tests, presentations, or coding exercises depending on the role.
Applicants should browse the website, especially the "employee stories" section, and LinkedIn page to understand company culture, insiders said.
"They're a strong ethical company with a strong moral core, and that comes across in their website," said Karen Bloom, principal of Bloom, Gross and Associates, a PR recruiting firm that has placed candidates at Weber in the past. "Anyone who wants to think about them as a possible employer needs to show they've done their homework."
Weber also emphasizes the success of team's projects more than individual achievements, so applicants who seem conceited can be quickly eliminated from consideration, former employees said.
Curt Doty, a former SVP who worked in Weber's Los Angeles office from 2013 to 2015, recalled advising a potential candidate - an arts college student - to dress more formally in his LinkedIn photo when applying for his first jobs. When the student was insulted by the feedback, Doty knew he wasn't a fit for the agency.
"Those are the people that are always the most successful," Shepard said. "Ego is less important than doing good work."