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Public Relations Managers

In the Public Relations Managers occupation, workers plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awareness for their organization or client. O*NET rates it as considerable preparation, which usually means a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience. It leans on speaking, reading comprehension, and active listening. Expect to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new business opportunities. With a code of ECS, this is mostly a job for people drawn to leading, persuading and making business decisions. Conventional interests also help, rated 4.4 out of 7. It tends to suit people who want leading, persuading and making business decisions, and it offers little for anyone seeking hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.

What they do

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awareness for their organization or client.

Main tasks

  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new business opportunities.
  • Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff.
  • Identify main client groups and audiences, determine the best way to communicate publicity information to them, and develop and implement a communication plan.
  • Develop, implement, or maintain crisis communication plans.
  • Write interesting and effective press releases, prepare information for media kits, and develop and maintain company internet or intranet web pages.
  • Manage communications budgets.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Persuasion

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and reading comprehension.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ECS takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.

Also called

  • Communications Director
  • Communications Manager
  • Community Relations Director
  • PR Director (Public Relations Director)
  • Public Affairs Director

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.