| Public relations professionals spend the majority of | | | | skills, particularly if their job duties encompass media |
| their time planning, implementing, and evaluating | | | | relations and event planning. PR professionals can be |
| promotional campaigns on behalf of their clients or | | | | responsible for handling pre-planning, logistics, setup, and |
| companies. Public relations jobs typically include one or | | | | promotions for news conferences, grand openings, |
| more of the following: writing, media relations, graphic | | | | new product launches, and many other types of |
| design, public speaking, event planning, and other similar | | | | events. |
| tasks. Depending on the type of organization with | | | | Training for a Career In Public Relations |
| which you are employed, your job may involve any or | | | | A degree specific to the public relations field is not |
| all of these responsibilities, as well as other duties. | | | | necessary for a career in public relations, but it can |
| Skills Needed for a Public Relations Career | | | | certainly be beneficial. Most companies do require |
| In order to be considered for a position in public | | | | Bachelor's degrees or a significant amount of related |
| relations, you will need to have strong communication | | | | work experience for even entry-level PR positions. |
| skills. Successful public relations practitioners must be | | | | Many people choose to move into Public Relations |
| able to be able to write and speak clearly. PR | | | | from careers in journalism, publishing, sales and other |
| practitioners communicate with their clients, employers, | | | | types of occupations that require strong writing skills. |
| coworkers, the general public, and media | | | | Many people who are successful in public relations |
| representatives on an ongoing basis. Nearly every PR | | | | have completed formal education in fields such as: |
| job requires, at a minimum, writing press releases and | | | | Advertising, Communication Arts, Creative Writing, |
| pitching stories to journalists via email, by telephone, | | | | English, Journalism, Marketing, Mass Communication, |
| and/or in person. | | | | Psychology, Public Relations, and similar fields. |
| Many public relations jobs require making guest | | | | Regardless of your major, if you college has a student |
| appearances on television programs, being interviewed | | | | chapter of the Canadian Public Relations Society |
| on radio shows, and giving speeches or making | | | | (CPRS) professional organization, it is a good idea to |
| presentations to groups of all sizes. Others require | | | | get involved. |
| writing in-depth documents such as speeches, | | | | A college student who wants to pursue a career in |
| brochures, training manuals, and other publications. | | | | PR will be well-served by completing an internship with |
| Additionally, PR practitioners are often responsible for | | | | a public relations company or in corporate |
| coaching company executives and clients regarding | | | | communication in order to get hands-on experience in |
| how to speak to reporters and other media | | | | the field. A combination of classroom training, hands-on |
| representatives. | | | | internship experience, and recommendations from |
| In addition to strong communication skills, public relations | | | | professionals in the field are very beneficial to anyone |
| professionals need to have excellent organizational | | | | seeking employment in the public relations field. |