This week, our class will be focusing on careers in the IMC field. After taking both the introduction and advanced IMC classes, I have found that public relations is a vital part of this field. Searching for a job after college can now be very difficult with the current job market. By having the right qualifications and characteristics, anyone can achieve a career in public relations. Companies such as Nike and Walmart, along with individuals such as Tiger Woods, have used public relations tactics to regain respect from the public. This field has proven its importance through the several successful, and failed, PR stunts.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, public relations specialists “serve as advocates for clients seeking to build and maintain positive relationships with the public.” In order to be successful in PR, you must be able to work well with others and maintain your time wisely. Someone working in this field must be capable of making the public happy and taking their harsh criticism. PR deals with businesses ranging from nonprofit organizations to fortune 500 companies.
Salaries for a worker in the public relations field can vary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that in May of 2008, the annual salary of a PR specialist was around $51,280. You can earn anywhere from about $30,000 per year to $100,000 per year, depending on experience and actual position in the field. Public relations is just like any company though; if you work hard enough, you can work your way up.
Whether interested in working for a privately owned public relations firm or becoming an in-house PR representative, the work is stressful. Experience with press releases and face-to-face interaction will certainly help for success in this field. Being able to openly communicate with the client and efficiently multi-task are necessary characteristics of working in the public relations field. The demanding work load and pressures of deadlines can certainly be difficult, but the payoff is all worth it.
– Lacey Inman
I really appreciate the way you outline the industry as a whole. One of the problems with PR is that many people never really seem to understand exactly what it is. Even here at UNCW you see so many communication studies students who supposedly want to study PR and still have no clue what they are getting themselves into. It seems that hands-on experience combined with classroom knowledge would build a strong foundation for anyone interested in a career in PR. Internships would most likely be invaluable for these individuals.
I hope I have the right idea of public relations. Through taking Dr. Persuits IMC has given me a somewhat better idea. I want to work for a video game developer, I have seen people that work on promoting upcoming game titles through public and private events and participating in interviews with specialized media. Among other things these same people I have observed give tours through games studios to media outles who then show these tours to interested fans and so forth. The thing I am not clear on, is that this seems to have less to do with advertising than with connecting with and informing the public. At the same time you would be promoting a product and brand too, so is this advertising and marketing that I am interested in or PR?