Frequently Asked Questions About Careers at Curley & Pynn

What does a typical day at Curley & Pynn look like?

If you like variety, then you’re in luck: there is no “typical” day at Curley & Pynn. Employees are assigned to several client accounts and perform a variety of tasks to help our clients achieve their objectives. From writing news releases to planning events to conducting research, daily tasks are as unique as our clients. Each provides an opportunity to showcase your skills and learn something new.

Why is Curley & Pynn unique?

If you want to grow as a leader in the profession and in our community, then Curley & Pynn is the right agency for you.

Before starting the agency, co-founders Joe Curley, APR, CPRC, and Roger Pynn, APR, CPRC, interviewed corporate CEOs about their expectations for a public relations partner. These insights shaped the philosophy and culture that persists at Curley & Pynn today.

We believe in developing leaders to serve leaders. You will have the unique opportunity to work alongside award-winning professionals with decades of industry and agency management experience, and with executive-level clients from whom you will absorb many lessons about corporate leadership.

In fact, our co-founder, Roger, believed so fiercely in the importance of leadership development for a successful public relations career that he founded the LeadershipFPRA program, of which several team members are graduates.

If practice makes progress, then we want you not only to learn important lessons about leadership, but also put them into action. The best leaders apply their talents to serve others. We encourage employees to assume volunteer leadership roles in our community. Numerous employees – current and past – have served on local boards for the Public Relations Society of America and Florida Public Relations Association. Three of us are past presidents of our association’s Orlando chapter and several have served on other nonprofit boards.

Curley & Pynn’s emphasis on leadership development has positioned our team as counselors in the eyes of many influential community leaders throughout the years. It allows us to serve as essential partners to our clients – not just order takers.

How would you describe the work-life balance at Curley & Pynn?

We should work to live – not live to work. Standard working hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. We rarely work beyond these hours unless major client projects or unforeseen circumstances require.

We recognize public relations is often ranked among the most stressful professions and are committed to supporting the whole health of our employees. Our generous vacation policy provides three weeks (15 days) of paid time off, with more weeks added after five and 10 years with the firm. Additionally, we offer five wellness days to ensure our teammates have ample time to prioritize both their physical and mental health.  

Our team may also take reasonable time for personal appointments during the workday, such as doctor and dentist visits, car maintenance or child pickups during school closures. Several of us are homeowners and parents of human and four-legged fur children, and appreciate the flexibility to manage both personal and work obligations without compromising what matters most in life.

Do you offer the option to work remotely?

We enjoy a hybrid model, working together in the office Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with the option to work remotely Thursday and Friday. Unless a client or team meeting requires you to work from the office or a specific location for all or part of the day, you may work remotely from anywhere Thursday and Friday. All we ask is for a head’s up about your location.

How will my success be measured?

Curley & Pynn’s most successful employees adopt an ownership mindset … write well, meet deadlines and internalize our Five Steps to Professional Success. This is the fastest way to earn the trust of our team and our clients. Ultimately, we measure employee success by how they impact our mission to be an essential partner.

What are the opportunities for advancement at Curley & Pynn?

No matter where you start at our firm, there is always an opportunity to grow. Your advancement depends largely on personal ambition and how quickly you become a trusted leader by our team and our clients.

Few stories better highlight the opportunities for advancement at Curley & Pynn than that of our president, Dan Ward, APR, CPRC. Dan started working at our firm in 1995 as a specialist. Eventually, he was promoted to vice president and became a partner in the firm before purchasing the agency in 2018 from co-founder, Roger Pynn, APR, CPRC.

Dan’s isn’t the only success story. Kacie Escobar, MBA, APR, interned at Curley & Pynn and later returned as a specialist – she is now a vice president. Sarah Kelliher started at the firm as a specialist and, within two years, was promoted to strategist.

How will you support my professional development?

We believe in developing leaders and creating opportunities for growth.

Curley & Pynn sponsors membership and involvement in professional associations, such as the Florida Public Relations Association and the Public Relations Society of America. Many of us have served as board members for our local chapters. Some choose to grow their leadership skills as a board member for a local nonprofit or other community organization.

We also encourage the pursuit of formal education and training, such as Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) or graduate-level coursework related to the profession. In most cases, Curley & Pynn reimburses related expenses.

Additionally, we assign a mentor to every employee and help them establish professional goals when they join the team. In regular mentor meetings, we hold each other accountable to our goals and offer guidance for continued career growth.

What is your stance on diversity, equity and inclusion?

Since our founding in 1984, Curley & Pynn has been proudly committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion among our ranks and within our community.

Our firm joined the first-ever regional corporate diversity, equity and inclusion pledge, an effort led by the Orlando Economic Partnership, to “create opportunities for those long-affected by racial inequality and [ensure] pathways for participation in the economy.”

Working in partnership with the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at the
University of Central Florida, we also hosted a program designed to build the next generation of advertising and public relations practitioners of color.

Curley & Pynn maintains a policy of equal employment opportunity. We hire, train, promote and compensate employees on the basis of personal competence and potential for advancement without regard for race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or physical differences. We also maintain zero tolerance for discriminatory behavior.

What is your dress code?

We want you to feel confident and comfortable so you can do your best work. Our office dress code is casual with few exceptions (no hats, shorts, ripped jeans, tank tops or flip flops, please!). Our president, Dan, is known for wearing the same “uniform” every day: a University of Central Florida polo shirt, jeans and sneakers.

For client meetings, conferences and events, we wear business casual or business formal, depending on the environment and occasion. The way we dress influences how others perceive us and we want to reinforce Curley & Pynn’s professional reputation when we’re out in the community.

What is your pay schedule?

Paychecks are delivered via direct deposit on a biweekly basis.

Do I receive a company laptop?

All employees receive a company-owned laptop and related equipment to use for business purposes.

Will I be asked to sign a non-compete agreement?

We incentivize employees to stay at Curley & Pynn; not create consequences for leaving. If an employee decides it is time to move on from our firm, we do nothing to stop them from pursuing a career with another public relations agency.