It’s interesting to recognize that working at a public relations firm may be the closest thing to a profession where I use everything my major required.
As employees at Saxum have said, they feel fortunate to work in a firm where they use skills incorporating writing – press releases, op-eds, memos, talking points, etc., media/client relations, campaigns/event planning, media tracking, research, social media, creative aspects; all that public relations entails.
Not only does working at a PR firm include using communication skills, but as I became involved with clients I learned about their company and what they represent, sometimes using skills I learned in what I thought was a “filler” or “gen. ed.” course in college.
There are various careers in communications that actually have little to do with public relations. PR is such an all-encompassing occupation, yet the jobs that appear in communications searches have little to do with it.
Here are some examples of what is often confused as being public relations:
- Human resources
- Marketing
- Development
- Advertising
- Sales
Although they may contain an aspect of communications, they aren’t exactly public relations.
Luckily there is hope for those who are seeking a career upon graduation in one of the more popular college majors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of public relations specialists is expected to grow by 18 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than average for all occupations. This is because businesses will decide to contract public relations through a firm rather than support full-time staffed positions.
So what does one do?
Decide what aspect of the major is most important to you.
If I were to decide that I enjoyed every aspect, then I guess I would choose to wait for my turn in line to apply for a career with public relations in the title.
On the Up and Up 