Public Relations Careers
Public Relations careers include Public Relations Specialists and Public Relations Managers. Believe it or not, one-quarter of all U.S. public relations professionals work in New York or California!
The services that Public Relations professionals provide to their clients include:
- Planning and carrying out a publicity strategy
- Arranging publicity events
- Issuing press releases
- Writing speeches
- Coaching clients for interviews
Advertising and public relations are similar disciplines, and many firms offer a combination of services in the areas of advertising, public relations, sales, and marketing. Lobbying is a specialized form of public relations. Lobbyists try to influence legislators by bringing their clients' special interests to their attention.
Public Relations careers include Public Relations Specialists and Public Relations Managers.
Public Relations Specialist
Public relations specialist is an entry-level job in public relations. Other names for this position are communications specialist and media specialist. Public relations specialists are advocates for clients who wish to create and maintain a positive public image. These clients may be businesses, governments (both domestic and foreign), health care facilities, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. They hire public relations experts to help them gain support for their policies and objectives from a targeted audience. Public relations specialists help them attain the media exposure they need to achieve that goal.
Outgoing, creative, confident people with initiative, good judgment, and good communication skills do well in public relations careers. Ideal qualifications for an entry-level job in public relations are an associate degree or bachelor's degree in public relations, journalism, advertising, or communication coupled with an internship in public relations. Depending on their areas of specialization, some firms may look for job candidates with backgrounds in areas such as information technology, health, science, engineering, sales, or finance. The median 2004 salary for public relations specialists was $44,000.
Public Relations Manager
Public relations managers supervise public relations specialists. They also cultivate relationships with the top executives at client organizations, often helping them draft their speeches. Sometimes they manage special events, such as charity golf tournaments, that are sponsored by their clients.
Public Relations Managers assess the effectiveness of their firm's strategies and analyze the ways social, economic, and political trends may affect the firm and its clients. Like all public relations professionals, they are concerned with strategies for directing messages to target audiences, for example stockholders, consumers, or the general public. They also work with media representatives to maintain positive relationships for their firms.
Often, public relations managers specialize in a particular public relations function, such as crisis management, or a particular industry, such as academia. The median 2004 salary for public relations managers was $70,000.
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Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-2007 Edition; Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.