The Demand for Public Relations Specialists
Jessica Riggins
ENG 111 CBL
10/7/11
Informative Essay Lights! Camera! Action! When you were in high school, did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up? I didn’t have a clue; there were so many things to choose from. I finally made a choice to pursue something that fit my personality. However did you know, “Public Relations Specialists held about 275,200 jobs in 2008? “(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5). Opportunities are best for college graduates who combine a degree in journalism, public relations, or another communications-related field with an internship in public relations. Vicki Nelson Director of Development for the Lampion Center Stated, “Public relations is telling stories, other people stories, but also listening”. Training and education, nature of the work, and job outlook compounded with earnings for the future could help you decide if Public Relations Specialist is the career for you. Most important is the training and education requirements you will need to pursue this career. The Occupational Outlook Handbook{OOH} points out, “A bachelor’s degree in a communications – related field combined with public relations experience is excellent preparation for a person interested in public relations work”(BLS, 3). According to Nelson, Most entry level public relation specialists studied public relations, journalism, marketing, or some type of communications in college. You can also major in advertising, political science, psychology, sociology, creative writing, and social services. Firms look for candidates who have worked with electronic or print journalism. Other firms seek applicants who have some type of experience related in their field of work, for example; Healthcare, science, sales, and finance, according to the OOH. Ashley Murray a Public Relation Specialist for WNIN noted, “In college I liked advertising and fundraising, so I took a part-time job with WNIN”. One of the best routes for finding
ENG 111 CBL
10/7/11
Informative Essay Lights! Camera! Action! When you were in high school, did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up? I didn’t have a clue; there were so many things to choose from. I finally made a choice to pursue something that fit my personality. However did you know, “Public Relations Specialists held about 275,200 jobs in 2008? “(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5). Opportunities are best for college graduates who combine a degree in journalism, public relations, or another communications-related field with an internship in public relations. Vicki Nelson Director of Development for the Lampion Center Stated, “Public relations is telling stories, other people stories, but also listening”. Training and education, nature of the work, and job outlook compounded with earnings for the future could help you decide if Public Relations Specialist is the career for you. Most important is the training and education requirements you will need to pursue this career. The Occupational Outlook Handbook{OOH} points out, “A bachelor’s degree in a communications – related field combined with public relations experience is excellent preparation for a person interested in public relations work”(BLS, 3). According to Nelson, Most entry level public relation specialists studied public relations, journalism, marketing, or some type of communications in college. You can also major in advertising, political science, psychology, sociology, creative writing, and social services. Firms look for candidates who have worked with electronic or print journalism. Other firms seek applicants who have some type of experience related in their field of work, for example; Healthcare, science, sales, and finance, according to the OOH. Ashley Murray a Public Relation Specialist for WNIN noted, “In college I liked advertising and fundraising, so I took a part-time job with WNIN”. One of the best routes for finding