If you walk down the main street of the nearest city or town, you will likely see many types of businesses. For some of them, an advertisement in the local flyer is enough to let people know what they do. Sometimes, however, the services of a public relations specialist might be helpful. If you like dealing with people and helping them learn more about businesses and services, you might want to consider becoming a public relations specialist.

Suppose that you wanted to buy something special but were unsure of the best place to go. You might look at online or print advertisements or check for information on television or radio. The information that you find could be the work of a public relations specialist. People in this field write reports, speeches, information for websites, and other kinds of documents to inform people about businesses or other organizations.

Besides writing informational documents, public relations specialists organize workshops, fundraising events, ceremonies, and other occasions. Arranging interviews and news conferences is also part of the job. Public relations specialists might participate personally in these events, but they might pass the work on to others, such as the managers of the companies they represent.

Staying in contact with the media is important. People in this job need to represent the company well so that the public can get important information to help them make good decisions. Sometimes, public relations specialists might need to deal with negative situations, such as when the owner of a company is caught doing something illegal, but often the work is about helping to give people a good impression of a company or other organization.

Working hours for public relations specialists are normally quite regular, but evening or weekend work might sometimes be necessary. The work is normally indoors, but some events might take place in parks or other outdoor settings. The ability to communicate well is important for people in this work, and stamina can help with the long hours that public relations specialists sometimes need to work.

Educational requirements for public relations specialists vary, but generally a bachelor’s degree in public relations is standard. Some people can work in this field by taking just a few courses and others get masters or PhD degrees, but each job is slightly different.

Annual salaries for public relations specialist jobs generally start at about $40,000 per year and can rise to $72,000. Experience can help make the job easier, especially as people meet other public relations specialists and find new ways of communicating with the public. This job can be a lifelong career for people who enjoy working with the public, but the skills that people develop as public relations specialists can also be useful in other types of work, such as teaching or sales.

Preparation for work as a public relations specialist can begin in high school or earlier. English courses can teach people to write well, and business courses can give students a sense of what makes companies work well. Mathematics or accounting classes can also be useful.

Public relations specialists do important work to connect businesses and people in the community. If you choose this career, your work could make a difference for many people.

Bibliography:

Canadian Public Relations Society. “Pathways to the Profession.” https://www.cprs.ca/getattachment/Certifications/Post-Secondary-Programs/Post-Secondary-Programs_Pathways-to-the-Profession_2018_Eng.pdf.aspx?lang=en-CA

The Chang School of Continuing Education. “Public Relations.” https://continuing.ryerson.ca/public/category/courseCategoryCertificateProfile.do?method=load&certificateId=198753

Job Bank. “Public Relations Specialist in Canada.” https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/summary-occupation/20976/ca.

Payscale Canada. “Public Relations (PR) Specialist.” https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Public_Relations_(PR)_Specialist/Salary.