COMM411 Study Guide

Unit 6: PR Careers and Development

6a. Identify the job skills necessary for a public relations professional, such as effective communication

• What are the top five job skills expected of entry-level PR professionals?
• What job skills are expected of managerial-level PR professionals?
• How can new PR professionals get job skills?

The top five skills identified as expectations for entry-level PR professionals include:

1. responding to requests from members of the media;
2. planning communication of programs and campaigns to build favorable relationships with various publics;
3. keeping content up to date on the organization's website and social media accounts;
4. writing media relations materials; and
5. maintaining favorable relationships with publics (community, consumers, employees, or public interest groups).

PR professionals at the managerial level must have advanced skills in reputation management, corporate communication subfunctions, and crisis management.

People new to the field of public relations will benefit from an internship with the public relations office of a company, government agency, or nonprofit organization. An internship is a professional learning experience in which a student or new professional works in a supervised environment and hones their craft. In this case, the learner is practicing their public relations skills. Many organizations have internship programs and use these as a training and hiring tactic.

To review, see:

• PR Occupation
• PR Career Guidance

6b. Describe working conditions and career prospects in public relations, such as crisis communication

• In what conditions do entry-level practitioners find work?
• What might be a logical career trajectory for a new practitioner?
• What roles can managerial-level practitioners expect?

Most entry-level public relations specialists work in supervised offices or departments of organizations such as nonprofit organizations, government agencies, or commercial organizations. As they gain more expertise in subfunctions of PR practice, they may choose to find employment in a public relations agency specializing in a subfunction of public relations. For example, a young professional may work three to five years for a nonprofit organization. When they are ready to look for an advanced position, they may find a position in a prominent agency that specializes in fundraising and advocacy. As practitioners progress in their careers from entry-level tacticians to managers, their employers will have higher expectations for their managerial skills and specialties. Managers in corporate positions are expected to be masters of the major PR specialties, including media relations, investor relations, community relations, customer relations, and employee relations. These practitioners will also have managerial skills to supervise other communication professionals and acumen in business functions such as budgeting and hiring.

To review, see:

• PR Career Skills

6c. Identify suitable resources for career development and support, including job boards

• What are three resources for finding internships, entry-level, and managerial-level PR positions?
• What is networking?
• What are the benefits of networking?

Finding a job is work unto itself. Three resources that PR professionals can use to locate opportunities include the PRSA Job Center, Indeed.com, and LinkedIn.com. Another tactic for finding work opportunities is networking. Networking is the practice of making connections with other colleagues and professionals. Through networking, young professionals can align themselves with a mentor or learn about new work opportunities before a position is publicized in formal job listing sites (Indeed and LinkedIn). Joining a professional organization like the PRSA or the IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) is a way to start networking. These professional organizations hold regular meetings to engage in professional development and networking.

To review, see:

• LinkedIn vs Indeed

Unit 6 Vocabulary

This vocabulary list includes terms you will need to know to successfully complete the final exam.

• internship
• networking