A few weeks ago, my fellow Assistant Account Executive, Sheridan, and I presented to University of Washington Department of Communications students. Our aim was to give them a basic idea of what a career in PR is like.
Afterward, we got to thinking that it might be helpful to summarize some aspects of our presentation for anyone pondering a career in PR. If you’re a prospective PR professional, consider the below at a glance information. There’s a lot to consider when you’re deciding what career is right for you – hopefully this can help you determine if PR is a fit.
What is PR?
If you’re interested in PR, you still not might be sure exactly what the terms covers. PRSA defines public relations as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” Sounds about right. Head to PRSA for a comprehensive definition of public relations.
Different sectors of PR
Before starting your career, you’ll want to consider what industry you want to work within. Below, we’ve listed several major industries that PR folks often work within. As you might guess, working in government PR is quite different than consumer or technology; think about your interests, and pay attention to what prospective agencies’ clients do when you’re looking for a job.
- Technology
- Consumer
- Public affairs
- Non-profit
- Health care
- Government
Different types of PR organizations
As you’ve probably noticed if you’ve started looking for internships or jobs, PR roles come in all different types of organizations. Agencies come in all sizes, and in-house environments are different still. To learn more about how PR roles can differ, check out our posts Five Key Differences Between Working at Large PR Agencies and Boutique PR Firms and Internal vs. External PR Roles.
Skills for starting out
You might also be curious what types of skills PR requires. Sheridan and I came up with the following list of essential skills and traits for a successful launch into PR; if you’re still in school, now could be a time to sharpen some of these. Internships also provide you a chance to cut your teeth and build these types of skills.
- Hard-working
- Able to take calculated risks
- Action-oriented
- Possess strong personal initiative
- Critical-thinking, problem-solving
- Confident
- Ability to write effectively with AP Style competency
Getting an internship
Speaking of internships, gaining work experience is always helpful when embarking on a new career path. No better way to do this than with an internship. In order to get your first, look into doing the following:
- Network, network, network!
- Research potential employers
- Set up informational interviews
- Build portfolio of published work and/or writing samples
- Perfect your resume, personalize cover letters to each employer
Communiqué’s internship program
So what will you do as an intern? Well, intern programs vary from place to place, but our intern program at Communiqué consists of:
- Administrative work
- Research (clients, competitors, public relations)
- Social media
- Blogging
- Editing and proofreading
- Building media lists
- Tactical support on projects
What are entry-level responsibilities?
Even armed with the above information, you’re probably still wondering what you do day-to-day as an entry level employee in PR. At Communiqué, entry-level employees generally engage in the following:
- Account management
- Updates to clients, status reports, client research
- Media relations
- Craft pitches, distribute press releases, conduct call downs with media, identifying/securing editorial opportunities, media outreach & buddy emails, schedule briefings
- Edit and manage projects
- Review materials, develop briefing documents, monitor for client coverage
- New Business
- Develop new business plans, conduct research, assist with presentation and documents
This list is pretty standard, but responsibilities will vary depending on the company you’re working for.
Pros of a career in PR
Like any career path, PR presents both pros and cons, which vary depending on your personality and interests. Starting out in PR, Sheridan and I have noticed the following traits that make us love our jobs:
- We deal firsthand with clients and media representatives
- We’re constantly learning as clients and media evolve
- It’s an exciting, fast-paced environment
- Our responsibilities are business-oriented yet require creative thinking
- We have the opportunity to learn about different businesses/industries
We hope the above is helpful as you think about whether a career in PR is right for you. As you continue to consider public relations, we also recommend you look to the following resources to learn more about life in the industry: