Most people when I tell them I am a public relations major have heard of that but do not understand what that means. They may think of the words “spin doctor” or think of PR as what it is portrayed as in the famous show “Sex and the City”. I have found the need as I become more educated about PR that it encompasses multiple important aspects of our daily lives. Not only that but due to the fact that PR is a worldwide industry and humans have become more reliant on social media and technology, public relations is one of the fastest growing majors out there. Economically, the public relations industry is according to Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics is the “most extensively developed in the United States”.
So the first thing you may be wondering is what is public relations and what do PR people do?
A career in public relations essentially entails managing the relationships between an organization and its publics. Anyone with a job in PR according to Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics must be able to:
- Prepare press releases, campaigns and information for respected medias
- Develop and maintain an organization’s image
- Identify main client groups
- Draft speeches and arrange interviews
- Evaluate advertising
And much more.
If you think about it, you only buy products and trust people and companies with a solid and respectable public presence and image. Successful public relations are the reason you trust those companies.
A major in public relations consists of many things not only do PR majors take courses pertaining to marketing, communications, and advertising, but you also take, economics, management, finance, and accounting. All of these are designed to help a PR major in their future fields whether they involve corporations, firms or public sectors.
Essentially, to have a successful career in public relations, you must be able to network, write, research, plan, problem-solve, have an understanding for business/economics and be an expert in social media and transforming technology. This field is challenging. Job searching becomes increasingly competitive by the day and you have to be highly motivated while on your feet constantly. All of these reasons are why I picked my major. Not only those but in the future being able to help build businesses, keep them on good terms with their publics and communicate the important information these companies create out to the world, is why public relations is important and why more people should understand that.
Cameron, Glen T., and Bryan H. Reber. "What Is Public Relations." Public Relations Strategies and Tactics. By Dennis L. Wilcox. 11th ed. N.p.: Pearson, n.d. N. pag. Print.
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