THE DIVERSITY OF OPPORTUNITIES
At public relations firms creates a wide variety of paths for you to follow. They give you the chance to specialize or to experience a broad array of work challenges. All give you management responsibilities early in your career, and all provide excellent learning opportunities that will be invaluable, even if you eventually move to a different field or return to school for post-graduate studies.
The diversification or generalist track.
Most agency professionals choose to work on a variety of assignments for clients in different industries. They find the variety of experiences to be the best learning opportunity and the most stimulating intellectual challenge. A generalist works with all stakeholders and influencers, whether they are employees or customers, interest groups or investors. They become experts in every type of media — TV, radio, print and Internet. Generalists are called on for all kinds of communications and research assignments — researching the competitors in a client’s industry, drafting a company brochure, preparing presentations at town meetings or tracking specific industry blogs.
And generalists get to learn firsthand the full range of global industries, from telecommunications to toys, energy to entertainment. Perhaps the greatest benefit of choosing a generalist track is the chance it provides to discover one’s special talents and interests and to guide you for future assignments in specialty fields or in agency management. The hot specialties track. Some professionals prefer to focus right away in an area like high tech, healthcare or consumer products and services. You’ll find yourself becoming an authority on the issues of that field, getting to know personally its opinion leaders, analysts, bloggers and media, and understanding the business strategies and market dynamics of the industry and its companies. While you will be developing your professional skills by attending conferences and other educational forums, your greatest learning opportunity will be in working alongside bright, experienced colleagues in tackling challenging assignments for your clients.
C A R E E R S I N P U B L I C R E L A T I O N S
If, for example, your interest is biology or health sciences, you could be helping a biotech company launching a new drug: training experts to be spokespeople; educating opinion leaders and groups with a special interest in the drug; obtaining FDA approval; building acceptance among physicians; educating patients about health management issues; and maintaining investor confidence in the company’s strategy for the product.
Those in high-tech specialties find a similarly rich diversity of assignments as the Internet continues to create new opportunities for the practice of public relations. Clients cover the spectrum from major infrastructure companies like Cisco, Oracle and Microsoft to fledgling startups hoping to be the next Google or eBay. Newer Internet platforms — blogging, podcasts and wikis, to name a few — have added to the tools that PR pros need to understand and master. Whatever the specialty, you will be communicating and establishing relationships with the trusted opinion leaders, analysts and media that cover those fields. Perhaps the world of consumer products and services is what captivates your interest.
New Horizons – New Sectors
Two popular and growing sectors in PR are fashion and sports marketing. Although the two are seemingly on opposite ends of the consumer spectrum, you will find that many of the skills required to succeed are similar. High profile clients “ whether a major designer or a professional sports franchise will draw upon”
Your skills to promote their interests to their respective stakeholders in a variety of ways. Skilled specialists have an important role in most public relations firms, providing vital support to clients in many different ways. Event planners, for example, are indispensable when it comes time to organize and manage a client’s event. Their talents might be applied to produce a modest ribbon-cutting ceremony or a global event such as the Olympics or the Academy Awards. When a client’s CEO is addressing
“Tremendous opportunities exist for people
looking to gain experience that comes from
working with a cross-section of clients on
a variety of timely issues.”
JAYA BHUMITRA, Associate, APCO Worldwide
At public relations firms creates a wide variety of paths for you to follow. They give you the chance to specialize or to experience a broad array of work challenges. All give you management responsibilities early in your career, and all provide excellent learning opportunities that will be invaluable, even if you eventually move to a different field or return to school for post-graduate studies.
The diversification or generalist track.
Most agency professionals choose to work on a variety of assignments for clients in different industries. They find the variety of experiences to be the best learning opportunity and the most stimulating intellectual challenge. A generalist works with all stakeholders and influencers, whether they are employees or customers, interest groups or investors. They become experts in every type of media — TV, radio, print and Internet. Generalists are called on for all kinds of communications and research assignments — researching the competitors in a client’s industry, drafting a company brochure, preparing presentations at town meetings or tracking specific industry blogs.
And generalists get to learn firsthand the full range of global industries, from telecommunications to toys, energy to entertainment. Perhaps the greatest benefit of choosing a generalist track is the chance it provides to discover one’s special talents and interests and to guide you for future assignments in specialty fields or in agency management. The hot specialties track. Some professionals prefer to focus right away in an area like high tech, healthcare or consumer products and services. You’ll find yourself becoming an authority on the issues of that field, getting to know personally its opinion leaders, analysts, bloggers and media, and understanding the business strategies and market dynamics of the industry and its companies. While you will be developing your professional skills by attending conferences and other educational forums, your greatest learning opportunity will be in working alongside bright, experienced colleagues in tackling challenging assignments for your clients.
C A R E E R S I N P U B L I C R E L A T I O N S
If, for example, your interest is biology or health sciences, you could be helping a biotech company launching a new drug: training experts to be spokespeople; educating opinion leaders and groups with a special interest in the drug; obtaining FDA approval; building acceptance among physicians; educating patients about health management issues; and maintaining investor confidence in the company’s strategy for the product.
Those in high-tech specialties find a similarly rich diversity of assignments as the Internet continues to create new opportunities for the practice of public relations. Clients cover the spectrum from major infrastructure companies like Cisco, Oracle and Microsoft to fledgling startups hoping to be the next Google or eBay. Newer Internet platforms — blogging, podcasts and wikis, to name a few — have added to the tools that PR pros need to understand and master. Whatever the specialty, you will be communicating and establishing relationships with the trusted opinion leaders, analysts and media that cover those fields. Perhaps the world of consumer products and services is what captivates your interest.
New Horizons – New Sectors
Two popular and growing sectors in PR are fashion and sports marketing. Although the two are seemingly on opposite ends of the consumer spectrum, you will find that many of the skills required to succeed are similar. High profile clients “ whether a major designer or a professional sports franchise will draw upon”
Your skills to promote their interests to their respective stakeholders in a variety of ways. Skilled specialists have an important role in most public relations firms, providing vital support to clients in many different ways. Event planners, for example, are indispensable when it comes time to organize and manage a client’s event. Their talents might be applied to produce a modest ribbon-cutting ceremony or a global event such as the Olympics or the Academy Awards. When a client’s CEO is addressing
“Tremendous opportunities exist for people
looking to gain experience that comes from
working with a cross-section of clients on
a variety of timely issues.”
JAYA BHUMITRA, Associate, APCO Worldwide
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