of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.” - Bertrand Russell
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas A. Edison
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” - Theodore Roosevelt
“Going to work for a large company is like getting on a train. Are you going sixty miles an hour or is the train going sixty miles an hour and you’re just sitting still?” - J. Paul Getty
“The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.” - Robert Frost
“So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.” - Peter Drucker
”Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.” - James M. Barrie
”I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson
“Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” - David Rockefeller
Public relations counselors FACTS:
Summary, What Public relations counselors do, Work Environment, How to become one, Pay, Job Outlook, Similar Occupations and Contacts for More Information.
Public Relations Managers and Specialists
Summary
Public relations managers and specialists write material for media releases, plan and direct public relations programs, and raise funds for their organizations.
Quick Facts: Public Relations Managers and Specialists
2010 Median Pay $57,550 per year
$27.67 per hour
Entry-Level Education Bachelor’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation See How to Become One
On-the-job Training See How to Become One
Number of Jobs, 2010 320,000
Job Outlook, 2010-20 21% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20 68,300
What Public Relations Managers and Specialists Do
Public relations managers and specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for their employer or client. They write material for media releases, plan and direct public relations programs, and raise funds for their organizations.
Work Environment
Public relations managers and specialists work in high-stress environments, often for long hours. Most work full time.
How to Become a Public Relations Manager or Specialist
A bachelor’s degree is typically needed for public relations manager and specialist positions. Public relations managers also must have related work experience.
Pay
The median annual wage of public relations specialists was $52,090 in May 2010. The median annual wage of public relations managers was $91,810 in May 2010.
Job Outlook
Employment of public relations specialists is expected to grow 23 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of public relations managers is expected to grow 16 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Growth of both will be driven by the need for organizations to maintain their public image in a high-information age and with the growth of social media.
Similar Occupations
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of public relations managers and specialists with similar occupations.
O*NET
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Contacts for More Information
Learn more about public relations managers and specialists by contacting these additional resources.
What Public Relations Managers and Specialists Do
Public relations specialists handle an organization’s communication with the public, including consumers, investors, and media outlets.
Public relations managers and specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for their employer or client. They write material for media releases, plan and direct public relations programs, and raise funds for their organizations.
Duties
Public relations managers and specialists typically do the following:
Write press releases and prepare information for the media
Identify main client groups and audiences and determine the best way to reach them
Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source
Help clients communicate effectively with the public
Develop and maintain their organization’s corporate image and identity, using logos and signs
Draft speeches and arrange interviews for an organization’s top executives
Evaluate advertising and promotion programs to determine whether they are compatible with their organization’s public relations efforts
Develop and carry out fundraising strategies for an organization by identifying and contacting potential donors and applying for grants
Public relations specialists, also called communications specialists and media specialists, handle an organization’s communication with the public, including consumers, investors, reporters, and other media specialists. In government, public relations specialists may be called press secretaries. They keep the public informed about the activities of government officials and agencies.
Public relations specialists must understand the attitudes and concerns of the groups they interact with to maintain cooperative relationships with them.
Public relations specialists draft press releases and contact people in the media who might print or broadcast their material. Many radio or television special reports, newspaper stories, and magazine articles start at the desks of public relations specialists. For example, a press release might describe
