Why Choose a Career in PR

The Public Relations profession still holds the stereotype of being a glamorous and lavish industry to work in. It certainly has the perks of perhaps the odd luxury lunch meeting, much like many other client focused industries – but this comes with the reality of hard work, long hours and sheer dedication.

The superficial image of the PR industry is challenged when good PR is evident. Some of the main aspects of good PR are how to manage crises, build positive reputations and increase revenue for organisations. Whatever bad press lingers, the proof is in the pudding when it comes to the results achieved by successful PR campaigns. A recent example of a creative PR campaign comes from a global brand Evian: babies on roller-skates. With these babies mimicking adults and challenging preconceptions of age, they have created a humorous advert which currently has over 40 million views on YouTube. Contrastingly, Evian’s competitor Mountain Dew’s latest advert has been highly criticised, due to the racist implication of using only black men in a criminal line-up. The advert has been removed from online viewing and Mountain Dew’s owner PepsiCo has apologised for any offence caused. Days after this controversial event, Mountain Dew has made the news yet again, by severing ties with their featured artist Lil Wayne due to the racist lyrics in his song ‘Karate Chop’. This is where PR is crucial in protecting brand reputation.

There are many definitions on what PR actually is. So how can you judge if you are suited to the unforgiving world of PR? A few things to consider:

Are you interested in public affairs (beyond reading the Metro on your journey to work)?
Can you cope under pressure? This does not mean just keeping calm during stressful situations, but exceeding expectations within tight deadlines.
Do you have good interpersonal skills? Can you build sustainable business relationships?
Do you have excellent written and verbal communication skills? Effective communication skills are crucial to maintaining client needs.

If you possess some of these skills, but wish to expand them to your full potential, then the London School of Public Relations has courses that will start you on the road to success. LSPR courses cover all aspects of PR, from business and press release writing to brand management, crisis and risk management and social media.

The Public Relations industry as a whole has changed over time, to now include online social media; LSPR recognises that course content must be flexible in order to provide the best training, in preparation for someone looking to gain successful employment in PR.

The LSPR courses will provide you with latest knowledge that is practical and hands-on. This approach ensures that employers are gaining well-trained people who are skilled in the latest developments affecting the communications industry.

This post has been created in collaboration with Denise Watson.