The public relations track is not for the faint of heart. It takes someone who can handle a fast-paced, forever-evolving environment with his or her cellphone glued to one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. These are the people with a type A personality, and creativity comes second nature to them. It takes the right words, thick skin and lots of caffeine to survive in the PR world. Feel like this is the major for you? We’ve listed seven signs that will assure you chose the right major.
1. You always have a plan
Whether you’re throwing a party or planning a vacation, you always have a to-do list at hand. Public relations is all about managing your client’s image, and with that comes a lot of needed room for errors. Having a plan B (and while you’re at it, a plan C, D and F) is a must in this field. In the time of an unexpected crisis, everyone turns to you to pick up the pieces—at least the pieces that are visible to the public eye.
2. You like variety
You can’t picture yourself having the same job title for the rest of your life, and that’s OK. Public relations majors can wear many hats: social media manager, brand director, communications coordinator, account executive and the list goes on. “Students are taught skills that are useful in everything from marketing to journalism to business administration. The wide range of possibilities that come with studying public relations make it a very appealing field,” said Jonathon Arnholz, public relations junior at the University of Florida.
3. You’re glued to social media and are always up to date with news
How else are you going to let everyone know what’s going on in the world? You’re constantly on Twitter tweeting your thoughts on the latest scandal and letting people know where you stand on a situation. That passion and knowledge will come in handy in public relations, we promise.
4. Coffee is your best friend
The PR world is fast-paced and unforgiving. You always have to be on your A-game, and you know caffeine helps you survive in a world like this. “The strongest public relations students I know are resourceful and a little anxious, with a strong attention to detail and an inhuman love and tolerance for caffeine,” said Ryan Baum, public relations junior at the University of Florida.
5. You over analyze a brand’s image
“Did Doritos really use that commercial this year for the Super Bowl?” “Seriously, who runs Domino’s Twitter account? I could do a much better job.” These are the thoughts that keep you up at night.
6. You have a way with words
You know exactly what to say and how to say it. As a PR major, you’ll get to have fun with your writing assignments for classes (think slogan writing, ad copy and product descriptions), and when you get to the real world you’ll have even more writing to do. Stay away from this major if too much writing makes you break out in hives.
7. Relationships matter to you
If you have a knack for maintaining relationships (we mean all kinds here), then this is the job for you. Relationship is one of the most important words in public relations. Without it, brands wouldn’t have their customers and you wouldn’t have a job.
