Individuals with public relations careers help to create and maintain relationships between a company or products and consumers or for individuals within the public eye. They use stories, advertisements and articles to build a rapport for their clients and monitor media outlets to see what the public thinks of the business, individual or product they represent.

Individuals looking for public relations employment opportunities must be creative, not be afraid to take action and have great judgment about what things will work to boost public opinion as needed. However, more importantly than personality, in order to succeed in this field you must have the proper public relations jobs education and training, such as the following:

1. PR employment requires, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree in the industry.

2. Learn about employment in public relations first hand by becoming an intern.

3. Engage in conferences, seminars and trade shows to learn more about PR jobs.

4. Access publications that cover tactics for public relations careers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Acquire a degree for better access to public relations job opportunities

Generally, you must have a degree, even for entry level public relations jobs. In addition to a degree in public relations, journalism, advertising or communications degrees can also lead to public relations careers. Many companies also seek out individuals who have knowledge or training relevant to the products or services that the company provides. For example, hospitals would likely look for a PR person who has experience in the medical industry.

I recommend: Learn about the training and qualifications for a public relations specialist on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Obtain information on the Master of Arts in Communication Arts – Advertising and public relations degree offered by Ellis University, an accredited online school, or the Public Relations degree program at Ferris State University.

Participate in an internship in public relations jobs

While obtaining a degree is crucial, an equally important element to public relations job training is participation in an internship with a public relations firm. Not only are internships great educational opportunities, but they also provide you with a whole list of leads and networking contacts that are useful when you start your PR career.

I recommend: Find a list of available internships through New York Women in Communications or Rising Star Internships. Read the benefits of public relations internships on All About Public Relations.

Attend events that discuss furthering public relations jobs

Public relations conferences and seminars offer workshops, speakers and discussions about successfully performing as a public relations representative. Trade shows focused on the industry offer the latest information, products and approaches to public relations so you can make the most out of your PR efforts. Attending these events provides knowledge you often can't obtain anywhere else.

I recommend: Sign up for the Annual International Public Relations Research Conference hosted by the Institute for Public Relations (IPR). Schedule the Power of PR seminar, designed for individuals with less than three years of experience in the field, offered by the American Management Association.

Read articles regarding strategies for successful PR employment

Keep up with articles and other resources offered by PR organizations. They can provide tactics and strategies that will help you to perform your job with greater achievement.

I recommend: Access the articles offered by the Public Relations Society of America. Also take a look at articles published by Website Marketing Plan.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Use the services offered by public relations headhunters to find the right PR employment to fit your desires and expertise. A PR recruiter knows what jobs are available, what those employers are looking for and suggest that you apply for the right job for you.

If you know how to turn a negative in to a positive, then public relations careers are probably right for you. Public relations specialists help make sure that the public views a business, government agency or individual in a good light.

Anyone that's interested in public relations employment should be outgoing. You will need to talk to many people on the phone and in-person. PR jobs are intense—you never know what might happen or what issue you may need to handle. This means that you must be able to think on your feet and respond positively to any situation.

In order to get the best public relations job opportunities, you should:

1. Have a college degree. While not always required for public relations jobs, the competitive nature of the industry makes it practically a necessity. Many colleges offer degrees in communications or public relations.

2. Have a professional write your resume. There is a lot of competition, even for entry level public relations jobs, so you need to be sure that you stand out from the crowd.

3. Network with others. Networking is a prized skill among public relations specialists and these skills could land you your next job.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get public relations careers off to a great start with internships

You need experience to break into the competitive world of public relations. Taking on an internship when you are a student is a great way to gain experience. This will prepare you to hit the ground running when you have regular employment.

I recommend: Search for internships in your area using InternshipPrograms.com. The New York Women in Communications, Inc. Foundation also lists several internships in public relations. There's sure to be something that catches your interest.

Look for public relations employment opportunities with niche websites

It doesn't matter where you live, you can find your next job online. It's better to search job boards that are specifically for public relations professionals. These tend to have better opportunities than catchall job boards.

I recommend: Search the job listings by keyword at PRWeekJOBS, a premier site for public relations specialists. PRCrossing allows you to search listings with a variety of criteria, such as location, keyword and experience level.

Use a public relations executive recruiter to find the top jobs for experienced professionals

Public relations headhunters can help connect you with a company that is looking to hire. They screen both employers and job candidates to ensure that they make a good match. This can save you a lot of time.

I recommend: Heyman Associates works to place PR specialists into executive positions. Spring Associates, Inc. also specializes in public relations placement.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you first start in public relations jobs, make a point of getting to know everyone in the office. This will show people that you are friendly and outgoing, qualities that all public relations specialists need.

Boost your business's performance with the help of public relations professionals. Before you hire someone, make sure you understand the language of the field. It will help you to know exactly what a public relations specialist does, the difference between a press release and a media release, what a strategic plan is and what it means to plan and buy media. It may also be useful to your company to know what a public relations firm is and what one can do for you.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Public relations specialists

Public relations specialists are people who specialize in making sure that businesses build and maintain a positive relationship with the public. Other titles for this job would be media specialist or communications specialist.

I recommend: The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines this term and provides other information associated with it.

Press release

A press release is a written statement to the media giving it information on an event, product or activity. Press releases are written in a specific format and in a way that the media can use the press release as a story to print, rather than having to actually attend the event to get the story.

I recommend: Look at Publicity Insider; it's a press release writing service that helps explain (with examples of press releases) why a press release would benefit your business.

Media alert

A media alert is similar to a press release, but it doesn't give the media the whole story. It alerts the media to an event or activity taking place and gives it all the information it needs to attend the event to get the story.

I recommend: Public Relations Writing details the difference between a press release and a media alert and includes the format for a media alert.

Media planning

Media planning is the practice of planning out what type of media coverage you want for your business, product or event.

I recommend: Entrepreneur offers a definition of what media planning is and what it can do for your business.

Strategic planning

Strategic planning in public relations means developing what your business's target audience is, how you will communicate with that audience through media outlets and the message you want to communicate. Creating a strategic plan involves detailing your plan on a grid and checking off goals as you complete them.

I recommend: Check out Michael Turney's website. He was a professor in communications at Northern Kentucky University and offers advice on strategic planning along with specific questions to ask during this process.

Public relations firm

A public relations firm is a business specializing in meeting all of your public relations needs. Your business can hire a firm rather than a public relations specialist. A public relations firm can also be referred to as a public relations agency.

I recommend: Learn the definition of public relations firm at Agencyfinder.com.

Public relations jobs require skill and talent to work with public perceptions. Employment opportunities for public relations will require some education in PR, whether it is through a college or through previous work experience. Those beginning in the field will want to develop skills that are attractive to public relations headhunters and employers. These skills can be developed through educational opportunities and practical work experience.

PR jobs are not easily available for everyone that wants to work in this field. Those that want to work in PR should begin by:

1. Obtaining an internship in a public relations firm;

2. Searching for entry level public relations jobs;

3. Joining professional PR organizations for networking and resources.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Begin with an internship to get the best public relations job opportunities

The best way to start in the field of public relations is to secure an internship. These internships can be paid or unpaid. The focus of an internship is to learn about the industry as you are working in it. Most PR interns are responsible for assisting on small jobs where they can learn how to write and edit press releases, put together a campaign and execute elements of the campaign.

I recommend: All About Public Relations provides advice from PR experts on internships and how to apply for internships. PR Soapbox provides tips on how PR interns can make the most of their internships.

Find entry level public relations employment opportunities

After an internship, most people interested in a PR career have the basic skills to obtain an entry level PR position. These positions provide additional training with more focus on the type of clients that the particular PR firm works with. Entry level positions do not pay a high salary, but there is usually room for advancement in larger PR firms.

I recommend: Employment Crossing provides information on obtaining an entry level position in the PR industry as well as a database for public relations job listings. College Grad provides an overview of what a person can expect from an entry level PR job including salary and potential for advancement.

Join professional organizations for advancement in public relations careers

Once a person has found a job in PR, the next step is to join one or more professional organizations. These organizations provide many things. First, being a member of a professional organization can impress potential clients. Other benefits for joining a professional organization include educational and industry resources and networking opportunities.

I recommend: The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is an organization for professionals who work in public relations and students studying public relations. The Entertainment Publicists Professional Society provides education and resources for those that work directly with the entertainment industry.