From Psych Majors to AI Slop: Is Breaking Into PR a Creative Nightmare?

Breaking into the public relations industry has never been a walk in the park, but for professionals attempting to pivot mid-career, the barrier to entry is starting to look like a brick wall.

Take the story of one former psychology major who, after taking a two-year break to recover from a severe mental health setback, decided to pursue a passion for sports and fashion comms. Despite writing independent motorsport reports, analyzing pop culture trends, and completing a high-intensity agency internship, landing a full-time role remained out of reach. Desperate for structure and a professional portfolio, they considered taking on massive student debt for a Master’s degree in Public Relations.

Read nextThe Great PR Gatekeeping Crisis: Why Ghosted Journalists and Career Pivoters Are Locked Out

Industry insiders, however, were quick to throw cold water on the higher education route. One blunt observer offered a stark warning: never get a Master's in PR. The general consensus among seasoned strategists is that hiring managers value real-world campaign chops, pitch lists, and practical execution far more than a costly diploma.

Yet, the alternative—building a portfolio through volunteer work—presents its own modern hellscapes.

Another young comms professional, holding both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, volunteered their social media services for a small UK charity to gain crucial experience. Despite offering top-tier copywriting and flyer design for free, the volunteer was stunned when the charity began sending back editing suggestions clearly generated by artificial intelligence—complete with dead-giveaway em dashes and generic phrasing. Shortly after, the non-profit began replacing custom-designed graphic flyers with low-quality AI images.

Commenters online split down the middle over the artificial intelligence dilemma. One commentator argued that small non-profits are simply resource-starved and using AI as a crude thought-starter, urging the volunteer to take the resume experience and ignore the insult. Another participant countered that feeding free work back into a chatbot is a demoralizing slap in the face to trained human writers.

Whether struggling to choose between expensive higher education or fighting off robot replacement in volunteer roles, young comms professionals are finding that modern brand building is a battlefield.

Our hosts unpack both of these wild marketing dilemmas and deliver their final verdict on the latest episode of Spin Cycle.