6 answers
Gracie
Student
West Palm Beach, Florida
1
Question
Asked
1526 views
What is it like having a public relations degree?
i’m a sophomore in high school who is currently interested in being a pr girlie! but the thing is idk how it is to be in that lifestyle, what do you specifically do?
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6 answers
Patrick Meyer
Executive - Data Analytics and AI
750
Answers
Naperville, Illinois
Updated
Patrick’s Answer
Gracie thank you for reaching out and asking your questions regarding pursuing a career in public relations. A degree in public relations can open doors to a dynamic and engaging profession. Let me provide you with some insights into what it's like to have a public relations degree and the lifestyle associated with it.
Public relations specialists are essentially narrators for individuals, businesses, or organizations. Here's a sneak peek into what the lifestyle and duties might look like:
• At the heart of a PR professional's role is effective communication. You'll be tasked with creating messages, press releases, and communication strategies to project a favorable image for your clients.
• Forging connections with media outlets is a key element. This includes pitching stories, coordinating interviews, and overseeing press conferences to secure positive coverage.
• PR often includes planning events, launching products, or conducting press conferences. This calls for thorough planning, coordination, and the capacity to manage unexpected situations.
• When crises occur, PR professionals step in to control communication and limit reputational harm. This role requires swift decision-making, strategic planning, and calmness under pressure.
• In today's digital era, maintaining a robust online presence is crucial. PR professionals often manage social media accounts, ensuring consistent messaging and interaction with the audience.
• Creating effective PR campaigns involves research to comprehend the target audience and competitors. Strategic thinking is crucial for devising impactful communication plans.
As you advance in your studies and consider pursuing a public relations degree, acquiring practical experience through internships or extracurricular activities during high school and college can greatly improve your skills and comprehension of the field.
Keep in mind that the public relations field is diverse, and professionals can find work in various sectors, including corporate, nonprofit, government, or agency settings. Adaptability, creativity, and superior interpersonal skills are highly valued in this field.
If you're enthusiastic about building relationships, crafting captivating stories, and handling dynamic situations, a public relations degree could be a thrilling journey for you.
Public relations specialists are essentially narrators for individuals, businesses, or organizations. Here's a sneak peek into what the lifestyle and duties might look like:
• At the heart of a PR professional's role is effective communication. You'll be tasked with creating messages, press releases, and communication strategies to project a favorable image for your clients.
• Forging connections with media outlets is a key element. This includes pitching stories, coordinating interviews, and overseeing press conferences to secure positive coverage.
• PR often includes planning events, launching products, or conducting press conferences. This calls for thorough planning, coordination, and the capacity to manage unexpected situations.
• When crises occur, PR professionals step in to control communication and limit reputational harm. This role requires swift decision-making, strategic planning, and calmness under pressure.
• In today's digital era, maintaining a robust online presence is crucial. PR professionals often manage social media accounts, ensuring consistent messaging and interaction with the audience.
• Creating effective PR campaigns involves research to comprehend the target audience and competitors. Strategic thinking is crucial for devising impactful communication plans.
As you advance in your studies and consider pursuing a public relations degree, acquiring practical experience through internships or extracurricular activities during high school and college can greatly improve your skills and comprehension of the field.
Keep in mind that the public relations field is diverse, and professionals can find work in various sectors, including corporate, nonprofit, government, or agency settings. Adaptability, creativity, and superior interpersonal skills are highly valued in this field.
If you're enthusiastic about building relationships, crafting captivating stories, and handling dynamic situations, a public relations degree could be a thrilling journey for you.
Jaiden Dropick
Public Relations Associate Manager
1
Answer
New York, New York
Updated
Jaiden’s Answer
Hi Gracie - happy to hear you're interested in PR! I got my undergrad degree in Communications with a specialization in PR which helped teach me the basics about the industry.
From there, I had two internships at PR agencies, one of which led to my first full time job at a lifestyle PR agency in New York City. In this role, I had the opportunity to work on prominent consumer accounts such as Google, YouTube, Tourism New Zealand, Godiva, and Northwestern Mutual, along with others. I also learned the fundamentals of media relations, data driven storytelling, executive thought leadership, influencer campaigns, and more. Working at an agency requires a lot of organization and time management skills since you will be juggling many different client needs at once.
Now, I have left the agency side and work in-house on the PR team for a shoe brand. At this job, I manage the day-to-day relationship with our PR agency and work with them to execute our overarching marketing strategy. I also help lead our influencer marketing initiatives by researching, vetting, and securing influencers for various launches, collaborations, blog posts, and more, as well as help create influencer-specific strategies. Additionally, I assist with partnership ideation and execution.
I've found that agency experience was crucial if you want a traditional PR role since it taught me how to be organized and learn industry fundamentals. My current job definitely gives me more flexibility day-to-day, but there are still times that it can be very busy depending on launches, etc. I do enjoy that in this role I get to travel multiple times a year for press trips, so if you like traveling that's a bonus!
Overall, I would definitely suggest pursuing PR since it gives you the chance to constantly meet new people and work for a variety of brands and industries that you are interested in.
From there, I had two internships at PR agencies, one of which led to my first full time job at a lifestyle PR agency in New York City. In this role, I had the opportunity to work on prominent consumer accounts such as Google, YouTube, Tourism New Zealand, Godiva, and Northwestern Mutual, along with others. I also learned the fundamentals of media relations, data driven storytelling, executive thought leadership, influencer campaigns, and more. Working at an agency requires a lot of organization and time management skills since you will be juggling many different client needs at once.
Now, I have left the agency side and work in-house on the PR team for a shoe brand. At this job, I manage the day-to-day relationship with our PR agency and work with them to execute our overarching marketing strategy. I also help lead our influencer marketing initiatives by researching, vetting, and securing influencers for various launches, collaborations, blog posts, and more, as well as help create influencer-specific strategies. Additionally, I assist with partnership ideation and execution.
I've found that agency experience was crucial if you want a traditional PR role since it taught me how to be organized and learn industry fundamentals. My current job definitely gives me more flexibility day-to-day, but there are still times that it can be very busy depending on launches, etc. I do enjoy that in this role I get to travel multiple times a year for press trips, so if you like traveling that's a bonus!
Overall, I would definitely suggest pursuing PR since it gives you the chance to constantly meet new people and work for a variety of brands and industries that you are interested in.
Wei He
Communications/Public Relations/Journalism
3
Answers
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Updated
Wei’s Answer
Hi Gracie,
Thank you for your question and your interest PR. Sharing a bit of my background here so that you know about the different routes into the PR world.
I started as a journalist (on and off for 10 years!), traveling to different places and covering different beats. Later into my role, I got the opportunity to provide PR consulting for some of the communications professionals and even C-Suite leaders. This role gives me a unique perspective to observe the common PR practices from the "receiving-end" (Not hard to imagine that one key stakeholder that PRs deal with is journalists!) . I would say the insights gained, coupled with my writing and interview skills, help me secure my current PR role.
If you ever consider PR in the long term, you might want to try journalism (of course if that interests you). One common route I've seen is : journalism-PR agency-PR in-house. You do not necessarily need to follow this sequence, and each role makes you grow tremendously in one way or another. So I would see experiences in all three to be highly supplmentary to each other.
Best of luck!
Wei
Thank you for your question and your interest PR. Sharing a bit of my background here so that you know about the different routes into the PR world.
I started as a journalist (on and off for 10 years!), traveling to different places and covering different beats. Later into my role, I got the opportunity to provide PR consulting for some of the communications professionals and even C-Suite leaders. This role gives me a unique perspective to observe the common PR practices from the "receiving-end" (Not hard to imagine that one key stakeholder that PRs deal with is journalists!) . I would say the insights gained, coupled with my writing and interview skills, help me secure my current PR role.
If you ever consider PR in the long term, you might want to try journalism (of course if that interests you). One common route I've seen is : journalism-PR agency-PR in-house. You do not necessarily need to follow this sequence, and each role makes you grow tremendously in one way or another. So I would see experiences in all three to be highly supplmentary to each other.
Best of luck!
Wei
Steward "Tony" Pacheco
Minister, USMC Vet, John C. Maxwell Cert. Coach, Trainer, Speaker, Teacher, Straight Shooter
117
Answers
Kyle, Texas
Updated
Steward "Tony"’s Answer
There are many public relations experts, gurus & wizards both with & without a degree. That is up to the individual's grasp of the concepts and formulas which sway public opinion at any given moment. The degree opens many doors, but it's also the attitude of the presenter that sways the opinion.
Leadership ability, Communication Skills, Visualization Techniques, and the like always win. Get out there and practice, practice, practice until you fall (and you will fall) always making sure you fall forward! Fall is not Fail. Then Get Right Back Up and Move On Forward. That education is priceless, but you won't get it from a book or in a classroom.
Take a personality assessment as soon as possible. Hopefully, you're an extravert or close to it.
Get on LION and search members under Public Relations and analyze their experience
After you have grasped their responsibilities, decide if that is what you want to do with the next 30 years of your life.
Be sure you understand the concept of lifestyles as it is not a business issue but a personal issue and many factors determine lifestyles. sometime its hard to separate the two so one must be firm at what they expect in their chosen lifestyle and meld their career goals around it as not to cause static within it.
Leadership ability, Communication Skills, Visualization Techniques, and the like always win. Get out there and practice, practice, practice until you fall (and you will fall) always making sure you fall forward! Fall is not Fail. Then Get Right Back Up and Move On Forward. That education is priceless, but you won't get it from a book or in a classroom.
Steward "Tony" recommends the following next steps:
Alise McNeill
Communications Leader
5
Answers
Durham, North Carolina
Updated
Alise’s Answer
Hey Gracie! As a Communications leader, I started off in Public Relations. A job in PR can look very different than how it is portrayed in TV shows. I think that is important to know. When I watch certain shows, I see a PR professional helping to throw fabulous parties and working with up-and-coming celebrities. While I'm sure there are PR professionals with that job - my experience in tech looked very different!
Most PR professionals start out by either working at a PR agency or with a large company. Their job is to build relationships with influencers, so they write favorable things about their products/technologies/services/etc. Back in my day, those relationships were focused on reporters at technology magazines, major newspapers and broadcast radio and/or TV news channels. Now, the field has expanded to bloggers and other influencers related to the field you're in.
Here are some things to think about when considering a degree in PR - or really a job in PR (sidebar - I don't have a degree in PR, even though I did the job for years. I had an English degree w/an emphasis on writing).
-You have to be an excellent communicator - both as a writer and verbally, because your job is to pitch or sell whatever product you're representing and get them interested enough to write about it favorably. So that means you need to understand your product and why it's better than the competitors'. I loved this part of the job - I love trying to convince someone that my offering/product is better, especially when I have the facts to back it up.
-You have to be a quick learner and more of an extrovert because you are "selling" or "pitching" your point of view to an influencer. This was the part of the job I found the most challenging. When I was really knowledgeable about the topic - I did great. But there were times when I just wasn't that deep on what I was "pitching" and in retrospect, I may have come across as hesitant. Well, if I'm hesitant when I'm pitching - no one else is going to be excited to write about it.
-This is a very fast-paced job with a lot of deadlines. You need to be comfortable writing and learning under pressure. You juggle deadlines all the time in this job. I love deadlines! I perform well when I feel pressure that something has to be done by a certain time. If I don't have a deadline - it doesn't get done. Not everyone loves working under the pressure of a deadline.
-This is a competitive field. People that do well in PR love pressure, deadlines and are great at building relationships, but you are only as good as the last story you've placed. That fuels some people to always do more - that burns some people out, but it's important to know when thinking about a job in this field.
If you're considering a job or degree in PR - read about the job - not just about the parties ;). Also, make sure to talk to some people in the field. When you go to college - take communications classes and talk to the professors in PR about what the job really is before you declare your major. You may want to have a more broad degree, like comms, with an emphasis in Pr.
This job can feel glamorous at times if you are pitching high profile reporters or you're on a news set. That is very exciting!! But on the flip side, that is a big stage with a lot of eyes on how well you do - again there is pressure to do well. Also, hone your writing skills. Write for your school newspaper, so you understand the other side of the job. Many of the PR folks I worked with came from a journalism background and were reporters. I hope this helps!!!
Most PR professionals start out by either working at a PR agency or with a large company. Their job is to build relationships with influencers, so they write favorable things about their products/technologies/services/etc. Back in my day, those relationships were focused on reporters at technology magazines, major newspapers and broadcast radio and/or TV news channels. Now, the field has expanded to bloggers and other influencers related to the field you're in.
Here are some things to think about when considering a degree in PR - or really a job in PR (sidebar - I don't have a degree in PR, even though I did the job for years. I had an English degree w/an emphasis on writing).
-You have to be an excellent communicator - both as a writer and verbally, because your job is to pitch or sell whatever product you're representing and get them interested enough to write about it favorably. So that means you need to understand your product and why it's better than the competitors'. I loved this part of the job - I love trying to convince someone that my offering/product is better, especially when I have the facts to back it up.
-You have to be a quick learner and more of an extrovert because you are "selling" or "pitching" your point of view to an influencer. This was the part of the job I found the most challenging. When I was really knowledgeable about the topic - I did great. But there were times when I just wasn't that deep on what I was "pitching" and in retrospect, I may have come across as hesitant. Well, if I'm hesitant when I'm pitching - no one else is going to be excited to write about it.
-This is a very fast-paced job with a lot of deadlines. You need to be comfortable writing and learning under pressure. You juggle deadlines all the time in this job. I love deadlines! I perform well when I feel pressure that something has to be done by a certain time. If I don't have a deadline - it doesn't get done. Not everyone loves working under the pressure of a deadline.
-This is a competitive field. People that do well in PR love pressure, deadlines and are great at building relationships, but you are only as good as the last story you've placed. That fuels some people to always do more - that burns some people out, but it's important to know when thinking about a job in this field.
If you're considering a job or degree in PR - read about the job - not just about the parties ;). Also, make sure to talk to some people in the field. When you go to college - take communications classes and talk to the professors in PR about what the job really is before you declare your major. You may want to have a more broad degree, like comms, with an emphasis in Pr.
This job can feel glamorous at times if you are pitching high profile reporters or you're on a news set. That is very exciting!! But on the flip side, that is a big stage with a lot of eyes on how well you do - again there is pressure to do well. Also, hone your writing skills. Write for your school newspaper, so you understand the other side of the job. Many of the PR folks I worked with came from a journalism background and were reporters. I hope this helps!!!
Martha Kramer
Corporate Training, Communications
334
Answers
Stamford, Connecticut
Updated
Martha’s Answer
Hi, Gracie - what an interesting question! One of the positives of PR is how versatile it is. You could focus on the marketing aspects or the journalistic aspects. You could move from social media to other types of marketing and possibly move from journalism to marketing. You also have a wide choice of employers from in non-profit or for-profit and maybe even in government (e.g., tourist campaigns, attracting businesses).
The type of lifestyle is going to vary with salary, but generally you should be able to work normal hours. Exceptions might be around publishing deadlines or key events, such as fundraisers. Your work hours may be affected by outside events. For example, if you are a journalist, you could be assigned to cover a story on off hours or, if you work for an aid organization, need to support emergency services.
Good luck!
Read this article - https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/pr-major
Read this article - https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/what-can-you-do-with-a-public-relations-degree/
The type of lifestyle is going to vary with salary, but generally you should be able to work normal hours. Exceptions might be around publishing deadlines or key events, such as fundraisers. Your work hours may be affected by outside events. For example, if you are a journalist, you could be assigned to cover a story on off hours or, if you work for an aid organization, need to support emergency services.
Good luck!
Martha recommends the following next steps: