How to Land a Top-Paying Public relations counselors Job: Your Complete Guide to Opportunities, Resumes and Cover Letters, Interviews, Salaries, Promotions, What to Expect From Recruiters and More. Klein Michael
relations managers and specialists work in high-stress environments, often for long hours. Most work full time.
How to Become a Public Relations Manager or Specialist
A bachelor’s degree is typically needed for public relations manager and specialist positions. Public relations managers also must have related work experience.
Pay
The median annual wage of public relations specialists was $52,090 in May 2010. The median annual wage of public relations managers was $91,810 in May 2010.
Job Outlook
Employment of public relations specialists is expected to grow 23 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of public relations managers is expected to grow 16 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Growth of both will be driven by the need for organizations to maintain their public image in a high-information age and with the growth of social media.
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What Public Relations Managers and Specialists Do
Public relations specialists handle an organization’s communication with the public, including consumers, investors, and media outlets.
Public relations managers and specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for their employer or client. They write material for media releases, plan and direct public relations programs, and raise funds for their organizations.
Duties
Public relations managers and specialists typically do the following:
Write press releases and prepare information for the media
Identify main client groups and audiences and determine the best way to reach them
Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source
Help clients communicate effectively with the public
Develop and maintain their organization’s corporate image and identity, using logos and signs
Draft speeches and arrange interviews for an organization’s top executives
Evaluate advertising and promotion programs to determine whether they are compatible with their organization’s public relations efforts
Develop and carry out fundraising strategies for an organization by identifying and contacting potential donors and applying for grants
Public relations specialists, also called communications specialists and media specialists, handle an organization’s communication with the public, including consumers, investors, reporters, and other media specialists. In government, public relations specialists may be called press secretaries. They keep the public informed about the activities of government officials and agencies.
Public relations specialists must understand the attitudes and concerns of the groups they interact with to maintain cooperative relationships with them.
Public relations specialists draft press releases and contact people in the media who might print or broadcast their material. Many radio or television special reports, newspaper stories, and magazine articles start at the desks of public relations specialists. For example, a press release might describe a public issue, such as health, energy, or the environment, and what an organization does to advance that issue. In addition to publication through traditional media outlets, releases are increasingly being sent through the Web and social media.
Public relations managers review and sometimes write press releases. They also sponsor corporate events to help maintain and improve the image and identity of their organization or client.
In addition, they help to clarify their organization’s point of view to its main audience through media releases and interviews. Public relations managers observe social, economic, and political trends that might ultimately affect the organization, and they recommend ways to enhance the firm’s image based on those trends. For example, in response to a growing concern about the environment, an oil company may create a public relations campaign to publicize its efforts to develop cleaner fuels.
In large organizations, public relations managers may supervise a staff of public relations specialists. They also work with advertising and marketing staffs to make sure that advertising campaigns are compatible with the image the company or client is trying to portray. For example, if the firm has decided to emphasize its appeal to a certain group, such as younger people, the public relations manager ensures that current advertisements will be well received by that group.
In addition, public relations managers may handle internal communications, such as company newsletters, and may help financial managers produce an organization’s reports. They may help the organization’s top executives by drafting speeches, arranging interviews, and maintaining other forms of public contact. Public relations managers must be able to work well with many types of specialists to accurately report the facts. In some cases, the information they write has legal consequences. They must work with the company’s or client’s lawyers to be sure that the information they release is both legally accurate and clear to the public.
Work Environment
Public relations managers and specialists work in fairly high-stress environments, often managing and organizing several events at the same time.
Public relations specialists held about 258,100 jobs in 2010. Public relations managers held about 61,900 jobs in 2010.
Employment of public relations managers and specialists was concentrated in the following industries in 2010:
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations 22%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 17
Educational services; state, local, and private 13
Health care and social assistance 9
Government 8
Public relations managers and specialists usually work in offices, but they also deliver speeches, attend meetings and community activities, and travel. They work in fairly high-stress environments, often managing and organizing several events at the same time.
Work Schedules
Most public relations managers and specialists work full time, which often includes long hours. In 2010, almost one-third of public relations managers and specialists worked more than 40 hours per week.
How to Become a Public Relations Manager or Specialist
A bachelor’s degree is typically needed for public relations manager and specialist positions, while public relations managers also need work experience.
Public relations managers and specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree. Public relations managers also need related work experience.
Education
Public relations specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree. Employers usually want candidates who have studied public relations, journalism, communications, English, or business.
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