Working as a PR Specialist
Career as a PR specialist can be very rewarding. More and more organisations and businesses are aware that their public image has a major influence on their overall success. As a result, PR specialists are increasingly sought after regardless of the economic situation.
What Does a PR Specialist Do
The main responsibility of a PR specialist is to communicate with the public and media on behalf of his/her client who can be a company, non-profit organisation or an individual. And the outcome of this communication has to be a positive public image and creation of strong relationship with the media, customers, the employees, investors and other interest groups as well as the general public.
A PR specialist is expected to appear on public events such as conferences, write press releases and newsletters, and to do a variety of tasks that have an influence on his/her client’s public image. In many cases, this requires a great deal of flexibility in terms of both working place and schedule, especially in times of crisis situations. For example, when a negative news about the client gets into public, PR specialist is expected to respond promptly and efficiently in order to help the client retain their good reputation.
A PR specialist may work for a PR firm, or in a PR department of a larger company or non-profit organisation. But many PR specialists also run their own business as consultants or freelance specialists.
Who Can Become a PR Specialist
In order to be considered for the job of a PR specialist, a Bachelor’s degree from journalism or communications is typically required. But many people who have created a career as PR specialists also completed formal education in other fields including English, Advertising, Creative Writing, Psychology, etc.. Most of them, however, also attended accredited PR courses and training.
Although formal education is highly important, PR firms and organisations that are looking for PR specialists, however, also look for exceptional communication skills which are not easily acquired. In order to represent their clients in the best manner, a PR specialist must have strong verbal and writing communication skills as well as to be able to work under pressure.
What are the Salaries of PR Specialists
Salaries of PR specialists vary greatly but in average, they earn about £40,000 a year. Entry-level PR specialist earn slightly less, while those who have already proven themselves in the field of public relations earn as much as double of the average. The very top PR specialists whose services are highly sought after usually earn six-figure salaries but they account only for a fraction of PR specialists.
