What Could a Career in PR Look Like?

As a PR pro, a typical day might start out by catching up on the news. It is important to know what is going on and if it affects your client. You will probably spend part of your day researching and writing press releases, blogs, newsletters, and social media posts before rushing off to your local news station to prep a client before their on screen interview. Back at the office, you may spend time pitching a story to the media or creating a crisis management plan for your client. If something goes wrong, it’s your job as a PR professional to act fast.

Your career in PR will likely be fast-paced and exciting. While some things will be repetitive (pitching, writing news releases, etc.), you are likely to have a wide diversification of activities to do on any given day. Public relations is involved in every industry; a PR professional working for a major league sports team will have a very different set of responsibilities than a PR professional working for an environmental nonprofit agency.

Honesty and ethics are a major part of any PR professional’s career. Make sure everything you write for your client is honest and ethical. If you don’t know the answer, research it or find someone who does. It’s better for you, your reputation, and your job if you’re honest.

Don’t expect a 9-5 PR job. Once you get home, you may still be checking your email, updating your company’s social media outlets, rechecking the news for anything affecting your client, starting on news releases for the next day or arranging meetings. A career in PR will be a lot of hard work, but it will also be rewarding and you won’t ever be bored.

By Paige Alsup