The field of public relations, also referred to as communications, is about building and maintaining an image that benefits your client — be it a corporation, school, charity, politician, celebrity, or other public figure — and getting their message to the right audience using press releases, conferences, and other media tactics.
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Public relations is about building and maintaining an image that benefits your client — whether your client happens to be a corporation, school, charity, politician, celebrity, or other public figure — then getting their message to the right audience.
A public relations professional might use traditional methods to disseminate messaging like press releases, press conferences, public service announcements, and printed materials, or one might employ more modern techniques, like podcasting, blogging, and video.
Everyone wants to convey to the public that they're the best at what they do. In a competitive market, a business depends not only on its practices, but also on its reputation to lure new customers and keep existing ones. In order to promote their clients, public relations specialists develop and maintain connections with the outside world: the media, the government, and other people in the industry. They write press releases about what's going on with their client, anything which may be considered newsworthy, and distribute the information among their network.
Often, information in a press release will become the basis for a news story or some other form of public attention. This is called publicity, and differs from marketing in that the client does not pay money to get this coverage; the public pays attention because it wants to. (And sometimes, the public pays attention in a way that does not benefit the client — hence the term "bad publicity.")
To accomplish all this, professionals in the public relations field carry out a wide variety of tasks. In addition to researching and writing press releases, they may set up press conferences or other presentations for the public and the media. They may have to speak to the audience themselves or develop talking points for leaders and/or public figures.
There are some common traits found in people well suited for life as a public relations executive. Consider an online degree in public relations if:
Public relations professionals most often work in PR agencies or for corporations that have public relations departments in house. But public relations specialists are also hired by schools, charities, political campaigns, movie stars, and other public figures — anyone needing the public to perceive them in a certain way in order to carry on with their work. They need to show that their work is beneficial to their customers, their employees, and their community.
At a small agency, you will need to be a jack of all trades to manage every aspect of your client's public image; if you are at a bigger organization, you might be part of a public relations department in which each member's role is specialized. In either case, creativity and initiative are key.
Public relations specialists usually work in comfortable office settings and follow standard Monday through Friday work hours during quiet times. However, overtime is common as press conferences, parties, fundraisers, and other special events call for interactions with the public.
Many! Here are some job titles in the field of public relations:
Public relations specialists are concentrated in large cities, where complex communications systems are in play among dense populations. The salaries for public relations specialists, then, should be taken into account against the cost of living in urban areas. In 2006, median annual earnings for public relations specialists were $47,350.
See average salaries for three more jobs in public relations.
As businesses and other entities credit more of their success to good public relations, the job field continues to grow. Although the employment of public relations specialists is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations in the next ten years, competition will be high as more and more professionals are attracted to the field.
To compete successfully for the limited number of entry-level positions available, a candidate should hold a college degree in a related field. Many colleges and universities offer bachelor's and postsecondary degrees in public relations, but related fields include communications, journalism, social psychology, and marketing.
Additionally, employers will look for prospective candidates to have demonstrated communications skills and hands-on experience in the field. Internships will give a candidate great training and experience, not to mention a much stronger resume. Many colleges will help students find such opportunities to apply and expand their skills.
Ready to take the next step towards earning your online degree in communications? These prestigious online schools offer accredited programs in communications delivered in a convenient online format.
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