Careers in PR

Presented By:Heather R. Huhman

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.“

Daniel J. Boorstin quotes (American social historian and educator, 1914)

My Professional Journey

What PR Environment Fits?

Agency– Jack (or Jill) of all trades, master of none

• At an agency, you will be expected to work on a variety of different client accounts and be able to shift gears very quickly from one topic to another

• People who work at agencies often refer to themselves as the “jack of all trades” because they juggle many different projects with many different needs

• Fast-paced, long hours, pay depends on the size

What PR Environment Fits?

Corporate– Cheerleader

• You will act as a company’s mouthpiece and oftentimes their biggest fan. You will focus all of your efforts on all public relations initiatives for a single “client.”

• You will have to know the organization front and back and be able to find creative avenues for the organization to get involved in.

• Fast-paced, long hours, highest pay

What PR Environment Fits?

Nonprofit– Bake sale chair

• In the nonprofit sector, PR pros are relied upon to generate media attention in order to raise awareness of the organization and in turn aid in fundraising

• It is expected that you not only be adept at “traditional” public relations tactics, but you also can take on a lot of different roles outside of strictly PR

• Relaxed environment, lowest pay, mission-based

What PR Environment Fits?

Education / Academia– Know it all

• Most educational institutions are nonprofits, so there is a lot of similarity between the two environments

• The office of PR knows what is going on throughout campus and feeds information to media outlets, alumni, donors, students and parents

• Relaxed environment, second lowest pay, LOTS of bureaucracy

What PR Environment Fits?

Government– Gatekeeper

• A PR pro in the government sector must be able to separate the wheat from the chaff and create interest about pertinent, noteworthy topics rather than minutia (or secret information)

• If working with political figures, you will also be charged with a lot of personal branding tasks in order to ensure they are portrayed in a good light

• Fairly relaxed environment, mid-range pay, LOTS of bureaucracy

Does the Organization Fit?

Reflect on yourself– Think about what you like to do and are good at,

and whether those things you like to do you could do every day

• For instance, do you find you are a very good writer, but not so good at keeping clients straight? An agency wouldn’t be the best fit, but a job in corporate or nonprofit PR may fit your skill set a little better.

– How do you like to work?

Does the Organization Fit?

Reflect on the organization– Job shadowing

• This is a great opportunity to see past the job description and truly understand what goes on throughout the day at an organization

– Informational interview• Ask to set up an informational interview with an

organization. Make sure to be clear as to what you are interested in, what you can offer and what your goals are.

Training

Bachelor’s degree Internships!!!!

Typical Day

Current Issues

Tools & TechniquesBusiness Case for PR (Measurement) Specialist vs. Generalist EthicsUnpaid Internships

Advice

Professional Associations

American Marketing AssociationAssociation for Women in Communications International Association of Business

Communicators Public Relations Society of America

Questions?

Heather R. HuhmanFounder & President

Come Recommended www.comerecommended.com

heather@comerecommended.comTwitter: @heatherhuhman