U.S. News & World Report in their first-ever edition of Best Jobs said (this year) that Public Relations is one of the best jobs one can have and that the “profession should see significant growth over the next decade.” Full Article available here.
As CEO of 1 of the 25 largest U.S. PR Agencies, I concur – PR is an incredible field to have a career in. If you’ve ever read a newspaper, magazine, or watched TV, chances are you’ve seen the work of a PR professional. You may not know the content you’re looking at was provided by one, but without the help of a PR specialist, media would be drastically different. In today’s world, there has never been a more amazing time to have a career in the field of Public Relations.
As the article states “Whether you’re the press secretary for the President of the United States, a communications director for Google, or a media specialist for a small nonprofit, your main goal is to generate positive publicity for your client and improve their reputation. As a PR specialist, it’s your job to cultivate and maintain close and productive relationships with journalists, bloggers, and opinion leaders. You’ll be asked to create print and Web-based communications materials—which may include story pitches, press releases, Q&As, presentations, video scripts, and speeches—ensuring they are consistent with your client’s image and message. Other responsibilities range from acting as a company spokesperson for a wider variety of media inquiries and speaking directly to the press on behalf of your client (sometimes deflecting negative criticism) to preparing your client for press conferences, media interviews, and speeches. Social media outreach has become an integral part of a PR specialist’s job in recent years.”
Incorporating a perfect mixture of journalism, psychology, and lawyering, PR is an ever-changing and always interesting landscape. There is no such thing as a “typical” day. Some days may be spent entirely at a computer, when others may be spent running around from one place to the next. You’ll never find yourself staring at the clock and waiting for the day to end. Public relations provides independent, third-party recognition and endorsements- an incredible asset in a crowded media ecosystem, and a commodity that many companies will pay for over other products or services.
Additionally, there is an understated power that comes with being able to have somewhat of a handle on the media. As a PR professional, I’ve helped companies define themselves and their brands, stay out of the press or get on page one, grow a business, solve critical problems, improve results on search engines, and become thought leaders in their industries. PR is a profession that helps entrepreneurs earn more, small brands to become household names, Fortune 500 companies preserve and grow their positions, and personalities and politicians maintain and increase their credibility and relevance. And it helps all of the above rapidly increase brand value. If you have a great idea, product, or service, PR will do a lot to cut through the noise and let the world know.
As the article concludes: “The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects public relations specialists employment growth of 22.5 percent between 2010 and 2020.” I am confident that 5WPR, as one of the fastest growing PR agencies will continue to benefit from the explosion of the PR industry.
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