PR and me: together forever? Let’s hope so!

I know it seems that I complain a lot on this blog, but I truly love public relations. I love networking, building relationships, writing, creating, generating ideas…everything. I realize that with many things in my life, I suffer from this gene where I act like something’s a burden when it’s really something I can’t live without. I have been fortunate enough to find a career I truly enjoy and I am sure that my love for PR will take me down a path that will yield highs and lows, but, ultimately, professional satisfaction. I look forward to seeing where PR goes into the future as new media is introduced and target audiences continue to morph and change. It seems that now, more than ever, PR is seen as an integral part of companies. Many small businesses wish they could afford the support that PR practitioners provide a company. PR is important and will continue to expand. I can only hope that I will be able to learn, improve and grow along with it.

PR v. Advertising: Who’s more important?

When I first declared my major as public relations, a lot of my friends and family kept asking me, "What exactly is public relations?" They constantly were confusing PR with advertising. Two years and countless explanations and glances at my assignments later, they finally can recognize the difference between PR and advertising.

Their confusion and an article in PR Tactics and The Strategist Online identify a real problem between advertising and public relations. Because each discipline knows they are important, they are, in a sense in conflict with each other because the outside world views them as one and the same. While collaborations between advertising and public relations can often yield the client the best results in reaching target audiences, each discipline wants to remain distinct and be seen as an integral part of a company.

Employee communicators should be able to do it all

A new study discussed in an article in PR Tactics and The Strategist Online identified 12 model competencies every employee communicator needs. The article describes these competencies as “core skills, knowledge and experience that communicators say they need to do their jobs well.

The 12 competencies include:

1. Building effective relationships
2. Business focus
3. Consulting and coaching
4. Cross-functional awareness
5. Craft (writing and design)
6. Developing other communicators
7. Innovation and creativity
8. Listening
9. Making it happen
10. Planning
11. Specialist
12. Vision and standards

All of these qualities are important for employee communicators to have. I also think that PR practitioners in general should possess these qualities. Some of the things that stick out most to me are the abilities to build effective relationships, consult and coach, listen, plan and make it happen!

I am Rory and she is me. (Okay, that's just a joke!)

Unfortunately, I am a Gilmore Girls fan. I have drawn many parallels between myself and Rory. Okay, no, I didn’t attend Yale, major in journalism or was the editor of the student newspaper. But I did start school when she did, and without getting too personal, I am also close to my mom. In Tuesday’s episode, Rory received several rejection letters from various newspapers and a journalism fellowship. During her breakdown she said that she had been trying to be modest, but she knew she had the fellowship. She also questioned what made her different and why she wasn't considered qualified enough for the fellowship or jobs.

Although my hardships are completely real and hers are imaginary, I understand exactly what she meant. For the past four years, I just knew that when I graduated I would have my choice of PR jobs. It never occurred to me that after years of being in one of the best public relations programs in the country I would be jobless.

Where's the money?

Interestingly enough, a pivotal job in any business, company and/or corporation experienced a salary decline in 2006. A story in PR Tactics and The Strategist Online, discussed the findings of Spring Associates, Inc.’s “The Official PR Salary & Bonus Report—2007 Edition.” The firm found that corporate communications base salary only increased 3.3 percent in 2006, compared to 2005’s 7.6 percent. PR agency’s base salary experienced a 3.2 percent salary declined, a stark contrast to 2005’s 8.9 percent increase.

This concerns me because in the article, results also showed that people spoke of “working excessive hours and feeling overworked and underpaid” and that some clients’ “best employees are not happy with their wage and working situation.” It has been proven true in many studies that people who are happy with their jobs, feel valued and when paid accordingly, work harder. I worry that if employees feel unappreciated and are unhappy, overall work quality could decline and ultimately undermine the purpose of public relations.

Personal blog equals steady income?

In a story in PR Tactics and The Strategist Online, Greg Beaubien talks about how bloggers can attract “unsolicited job offers.” He said that by reading the personal blog of a potential hire, a recruiter can “assess the person’s qualifications and character.” He also quoted a blogger, Greg Sterling, who said that a person should never write on his or her blog that he or she is looking for a job.

Well, in the beginning my hopes were up. I was sure someone would read my blog and end my misery and offer me the much discussed dream PR job. But by the end of the article, I felt like I had committed a cardinal sin—begging for a job on my blog. Oh, well, maybe next time!

Although I’ve ruined my chances, I find the idea of being offered jobs because of one’s personal blog fascinating.

Is it bad that...

Well in about a week I will be graduating with a bachelor's degree in public relations and I still haven't found a job in public relations. This is disheartening, because I am used to getting what I want professionally. I have found and accepted a position, but it is not at all related to public relations. One of my biggest concerns is that when applying for positions in PR, potential employers are looking for individuals with years of experience in public relations and communications. How will I ever accumulate years of experience if I can't find a job in public relations? I truly love PR and know that this is something I could be great at. So, is it bad that I don't have a job in public relations yet?