How to Get a Job in Public Relations

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So, you want to work in PR. I can’t blame you. I’ve got more than 30 years and 200 pounds of communications experience under my belt, and as I look back on it, it’s been an interesting and sometimes exhilarating ride. If you are a quick study, pay attention and can write your way out of a paper bag, you’ll learn a ton about a lot of different professions and products, and you’ll likely never be at a loss for cocktail party conversation. (Ask me about the JOBS Act, child labor issues in Bolivia, Milliennial work trends among Big Four accountants or how sediment runoff is impacting the health of the James River.)

There’s good news on the hiring front. The Labor Department predicts that PR jobs will grow by 12 percent over the decade ahead, this after a period of already robust job growth, particularly on the digital side. PR also gets high marks from a qualitative point of view. USA News puts public relations as among its “100 Best Jobs” and ranks it as the “#1 Creative Job.” And among the majors that employers love, Yahoo! lists Bachelor of Communications as #2.

None of that comes as a surprise. The regular stream of resumes and employment inquiries we receive here is a tangible testament that we’re in a buyer’s market when it comes to talent. Lots of smart young people want to get into public relations, which is a healthy sign that our profession will remain vibrant and stay on the cutting edge of new technologies.

That said, not all the young people I meet with seem to have a clear sense as to how to get that first job in public relations, and if you press them further, some even have trouble articulating what it is about the PR profession that interests them in the first place. With that the case, here are some musings to guide you in the choices that lie ahead.

Curiosity

There are certain characteristics that I think all good PR people should have, and at the top I would put curiosity. The best practitioners have an abiding curiosity about things, and that starts with closely following the news around them. Want to get into PR? Read a newspaper. Go online and delve into stories on various other outlets. Pay attention to which publications are covering which issues. Read commentaries. Watch The Daily Show. Like The Onion on Facebook. Our profession is changing by leaps and bounds, but what will not likely change anytime soon is our focus on helping clients tell their stories through the news media. And to effectively do that, you need to be a consumer of news so that when your client suggests that his inventory software tool is ideal for a story in The Atlantic, you’ll be able to disabuse him of the idea—gently of course.

Write

Public relations needs good writers—check that, we need great writers. We need professionals who can express themselves articulately—even eloquently—within a diversity of formats: articles and op-eds, news releases and letters to the editor. Yes, we need bloggers and Facebook posters and folks who can condense the essence of a message into 140 characters, but we also need writers who can craft insightful white papers, annual report copy and speeches. If you’re still in school, walk into the campus newspaper tomorrow and tell them you want to write, and if you’ve graduated already, start your own blog or Tumbler account or offer to freelance for a local weekly. Get a byline. Prove that you understand that this is a prerequisite to starting down this career path.

Flexibility

Everyone has their “dream” job in public relations, and chances are scores of your fellow graduates have the same dream. And so you need to be flexible—in a number of ways. First, consider broadening your professional outlook. Sure, you want to get into public relations, but there’s nothing wrong with taking that first entry-level job in marketing more generally. And even if you need to pay the rent and can’t find even that, find opportunities in your current job where you can begin flexing your PR skills. Soon after I landed a job with the FBI giving tours (loved that official natty blue blazer), I asked if I could start a newsletter for fellow tour guides. After one issue of Walking and Talking, I was summoned “upstairs” to the public affairs office to take a writing job, which is where I had been trying to get for the previous six months. Flexibility also means expanding your geography. PR opportunities are limited in Richmond, but in DC, they are almost as ubiquitous as attorney openings. Even if you have your heart set on staying around, it’s only 100 miles away, and after you get some great experience, you can direct your career path back to the RVA.

Professionalism

If you want to become a public relations professional, start acting like one. And the best way to do so is to join the local PRSA chapter, or the student chapter, as the case may be. Attending the regular lunches and learning from speakers and forums is not only a great way to begin your professional development, but it’s also ideal for networking. Meet as many people as you can. Let them know your career interests. Find ways to get involved on committees. Get your name out there as a budding PR professional, even if you are currently a receptionist at a real estate firm.

Fearlessness

The best PR people have a fearlessness about them. You need to be able to speak frankly but tactfully to a client about the real world or reach out to reporters with a great sense of confidence. My business partner is a perfect example. So many PR people pitch stories to reporters as if they are asking for a favor. When Jon Newman pitches, it’s as if he’s doing the reporter a favor. And to be clear, I’m not talking about changing your personality. Some of the best public relations practitioners are dyed-in-the-wool introverts, and yet they possess a confidence and fearlessness that forms the foundation of their success.

So, congratulations on your choice of careers. Now go out and do what great PR people do—set a clear plan of attack, stay persistent and make your own luck.

Josh Dare

Josh’s career in communications spans more than four decades. In addition to providing strategic counsel and crisis communications direction to clients, he is the resident Writer-In-Chief, regularly writing op-eds and bylines on behalf of clients that have been published in The Washington Post, The Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Huffington Post, among others.

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