Growing up in Phoenix vs moving here from somewhere else
There are those PR professionals who grew up in Phoenix and developed their careers, and those of us who are transplants from somewhere else. I’ve been here since 1988 – how about you?
Scott Hanson, president of HMA PR, grew up here, and in fact, he says, his parents still live in the same house he grew up in. He graduated from NAU. Did growing up here help his career? He thinks so. “Just knowing the lay of the land without having to research it or having to rely on others for historical information is a tremendous asset.”
When he was still in broadcasting full-time, he considered moving from Arizona, but now would not consider it. His business celebrates its 30th birthday in 2010, and “I think we have too much equity in the market to start over somewhere else.” He also takes pride in being able to say “Phoenix native.”
In describing the Phoenix culture/market, he observed that there is tremendous talent here. There are a number of good agencies who do exellent work for their clients. He likes to think that the ethical standards of the Valley PR community are above others. Any limiting factors? “The availability of budgets that you find in larger cities.”
Ana Tacket came to Phoenix by way of Seattle, and before that, Michigan. She works for Zion & Zion PR. She left a good job in Seattle and “took a huge risk in moving (to Arizona) and believed, even in a tough economy, it would not be hard to find a job.” (Previously she had worked as a spokesperson for Microsoft). She found Arizona to be a challenge, however. It does not have the larger agencies and she found that there are hundreds of good PR practitioners here all vying for the same jobs, especially in the corporate sector. She’s thankful that Zion & Zion took a chance on her.
What drew her to Phoenix? She visited Arizona in 2006 when jobs were more plentiful, but she does believe the state is on the rebound. The geographic location appealed to her, in addition to the overall cost of living and the future opportunities here.
She feels the character and culture here are vastly different from anyplace she has seen, and not what she expected. In her experience, it’s a melting pot of firms that either have a cutthroat mentality (particularly if the principals are from the east coast), or a very collaborative approach (more of a west coast mentality, she says). What she finds frustrating is that firms in AZ “expect you to be a resident of Arizona, prior to making a job offer, and while this makes sense from a financial standpoint, it stagnates top talent from considering Arizona as a place for “serious” career seekers.” To be considered a major player in the PR space, Arizona is going to have to start recruiting top talent from out of state. Heavy reliance on the real estate industry has backfired and “it is time for firms to realize that they need to diversify.” She emphasized that she finds the local resources very helpful for new AZ PR professionals like her, including Valley PR Blog and the Phoenix chapter of PRSA.
If you’re a transplant to Arizona, do you ever wonder how your career would have evolved if you had stayed in the area in which you grew up? If we could only experience both scenarios, like the Gwyneth Paltrow movie Sliding Doors.
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Comments
January 7th, 2010 at 9:03 am
I’ve lived and worked in DC, LA and Phoenix. I’ve never had trouble finding work like I have in Phoenix. It’s been a long frustrating road.
January 7th, 2010 at 9:36 am
really? In her experience, it’s a melting pot of firms that either have a cutthroat mentality (particularly if the principals are from the east coast),or a very collaborative approach (more of a west coast mentality, she says). generalizing… ? we’re from East Coast and not cutthroat I believe. How about people from the east coast interested in doing business in Arizona? how would they start?
January 7th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Grew up here, but when it came time for college, I chose University of New Mexico because of its reputation as the #2 journalism school in the nation (I know, Pat Elliott went to #1).
Spent 10 years in Denver after Albuquerque and returned in 1986. Today, I hate to say it, but I see things “going to hell in a hand basket” for Phoenix. There seems to be little creative or forward thinking. The state has not had a governor INITIALLY ELECTED TO OFFICE serve their full term since 1975 when Jack Williams left office.
We don’t have the leaders we did in the ’80s.
Yesterday a guy in Ohio was telling me how he took his whole 25 people corporation from Phoenix and moved it to Ohio because Arizona has one of the highest tax bases for businesses and is generally being unattractive – and he singled out ASU as a negative – for business coming to our state. You see it every day via the media how bad Arizona is – the Joe & Andy show, the budget, Jan Brewer, on and on; #1 in all the bad stuff and last in the good stuff. What’s going to change or is Arizona doomed?
As a state, we have so much going for us, http://marketingsociologist.blogspot.com/2010/01/21st-centurys-second-decade-desert-will.html
Why are we letting it go to waste and not attracting businesses, good businesses?
Congrats to Barry Kluger – he’s doing the RIGHT thing in this regard. A leader?
January 7th, 2010 at 10:55 am
I moved to Phoenix in 1982 from Columbus, Ohio and never looked back. I’m lvoe the state and I’ve seen the growing pains and the booms and the busts. Unfortunately, this last one was a whopper and was tied directly to what Phoenix relied on most – construction and real estate.
We will survive and be stronger. There are plenty of good stories to be told. Yesterday, Opportunity Greater Phoenix offically launched to get the good news out about the greater Phoenix area and Arizona. http://www.opportunitygreaterphoenix.com.
LVA Communications is focused on the technology sector and is proud to represent local clients such as The Arizona Technology Coucil and Aide Solar, a solar module manufacturer with U.S. headquarters in Tempe, AZ. We’ll continue to champion the great work people are doing here and help focus on a positive future.
January 7th, 2010 at 11:00 am
As someone who has been flying back and forth to the east coast monthly now, I can tell you I wouldn’t want to try to find a job back there right now. States like Massachusetts and Rhode Island are facing tough challenges.
January 7th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Liked this post. I think Arizona is interesting in that there aren’t HUGE PR firms (employing 50+ people–just on PR), but there are lot of successful independents and small agencies.
Without the HUGE PR firms and huge integrated firms, many of the major local companies aren’t looking at local firms to conduct national (or international) campaigns (they usually will still go with the New York, Chicago, Los Angeles-based firms that are larger).
Also, some of the growth and population numbers were inflated giving people the impression that it was a “bigger city” than it actually is. In reality, Phoenix, has grown a lot in the past 15 years, but it is sort of smoke and mirrors growth (in many ways). The business support and state economy is far behind the population/building growth.
The actual hard infrastructure is pretty much there, but obviously we are still learning –as a state–how to budget and become business-friendly. As someone alluded to, we need a state governor who has business/executive experience.
I think a run from one of the major CEOs in town could be successful (and a good thing) if they are so willing and have political aspirations (I mean we have big national and international corporations run from this state–there ARE smart people/leaders).
In general though, I think it is tough EVERYWHERE right now, just not in Phoenix (although Phoenix is near the bottom according to virtually all statistics).
January 7th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Such an interesting topic! I was a very successful communications/public relations professional back in my homeland. Like Scott Hanson, I had the advantages of knowing “the lay of the land”. Now, a foreigner in Arizona, I feel like Ana Tacket, “firms need to diversify”. I am originally from Brazil and it seems that it is easier for an American professional have success in Brazil than a Brazilian professional make it in the US. As a transplant to Arizona I can say that moving here wasn’t a good/wise career move. I am here for love. I’ve got married to an American and now I feel like I lost my professional life! What a challenge! Hoping for 2010!
January 7th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
I am in full agreeance with Ana Tacket and I believe when you look across the board there are numerous small firms that have no strategic direction in general here. In fact, I will go a step further and say they try to pretend to be large firms. Very few even have a business mind…and it is an extreme challenge to find a job in Phoenix. I feel employers don’t recognize good talent here and it is frustrating. Jennifer above says generalizing…its hard to hear the truth sometimes, but yes, East Coast in general is very cut throat and you have to remember when coming to the West that things work differently here. People tend to be friendlier, want to collaborate more and both are not bad, just different ways of doing business.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Sandra and Jennifer – you give me the idea of a whole ‘nother topic on east coast vs. west coast. Not sure I even want to get into that, but as someone who grew up and worked on the east coast until age 28, then moved here, I would say the biggest difference I noticed when I moved here was 1) intensity 2) sense of urgency and 3) quick wittedness
. In comparison, the east coast was stronger on those three aspects. The sense of urgency may be what creates the impression of cutthroat, but I find New Yorkers way more cutthroat than Rhode Islanders or people from Massachusetts, Maine, etc.
All this said, I’m very happy in Arizona and wouldn’t want to move. You can’t beat the network of intelligent PR people here, and the quality of life.