If you’ve ever watched TV, you’re probably aware that there are a variety of jobs out there based around public relations. These often go by other titles such as marketing coordinator, communications specialist, public media manager, or other variations on these themes. These roles are often portrayed as pretty glamorous in film and TV, where you spend much of your time going to fancy meals, drinking at events and jetting off to meetings with high-powered individuals who are happy to listen to you because, let’s face it, you’re the best in the business. While you’re probably aware that this is not quite the reality of this industry, it can still be an incredibly interesting and varied job, and one which is well worth considering for a future career.

So what does this job actually involve? Well, this depends a lot on what sort of company you work for. You may be the public relations manager within a company, or work for a specialist public relations company that works on behalf of its client companies or on campaigns. Public relations specialists often deal with marketing, media relations and the smooth running of promotional events, as well as somewhat more mundane tasks such as booking venues and arranging a plethora of details for these events, writing and re-writing press releases and attending meetings with clients to better understand their marketing needs. Basically, the role of public relations manager can involve a huge range of activities, in fact far too many for us to list here.

What kinds of skills do you need to work in public relations? Well, among the top skills you’ll need are excellent communication skills, both in writing and orally. This is because you’ll likely spend quite a bit of time writing press releases and briefs, as well as presenting to potential clients and perhaps even public speaking on behalf of a company. You may also be involved in conducting market research, meaning you’ll need to be able to effectively convey the results so they can be acted upon. You’ll also need excellent organisational skills and be able to work well under pressure, as you’ll likely be juggling quite a few tasks at once, all with varying deadlines and all important. On top of this, you may have to deal with public relations emergencies, requiring you to quickly sort out a situation while staying on top of everything else. Basically, working in public relations is not going to be an easy job. However, you may have opportunities to travel, work on really interesting campaigns and make a real difference to the way a company promotes itself. So while it may be hard work, it can also be really fulfilling.

If this sounds like a career that you might be interested in, we strongly recommend that you do a bit of research to find out a few more of the skills needed and activities that you’ll be involved in. The best route into this field is probably to enrol in a university course (you can find a list of approved courses from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations here). While a degree isn’t strictly necessary for getting into this field, it will prove to companies that you have an understanding of what the job entails and are aware of how to best deliver results to that company. You’ll also get access to case studies and perhaps internships, meaning you’ll have a better understanding of how it all works in practice. If you’ve got other experience running social media campaigns, writing press releases or working in events management, you may be able to bypass the educational bit and get in based on your experience. However, if you’re just coming out of college, it’s unlikely you’ll have the requisite experience, so taking a look into the degree programmes is your best bet.