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Public Relations Officer

Do you want to become a Public Relations Officer? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

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Public relations officers are concerned with an organisation's reputation. They aim to build and improve the image of the organisation in the eyes of its customers, shareholders and the wider public.

Work includes:

• planning public relations programmes
• recommending strategies to clients
• writing and editing speeches, press releases, articles, and company websites
• producing brochures, reports, film and multimedia programmes
• liaising with the media - newspapers, magazines, radio and television
• organising news conferences, press launches, open days and trade fairs
• representing the company or client and acting as spokesperson
• managing budgets.

Typical working hours are 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with occasional evening and weekend work. The work is office-based, with frequent travel to meetings and public relations events, such as trade shows. This may involve working away from home.

Salaries range from at least £12,000 a year for new public relations officers to over £100,000 a year for some heads of communications and account directors.

A public relations officer should:

• have strong communication skills, both written and spoken
• be confident speaking in public
• be creative and imaginative
• work well in a team
• be able to plan, organise and manage different tasks
• be able to work well under pressure, and to adapt to situations as they arise
• have an interest in current affairs.

Public relations officers typically work either in-house in an organisation's public relations or marketing department, or in a public relations consultancy. This is a growing area of work. It is highly competitive to enter.

Most entrants have a degree. Many also have a postgraduate qualification. Graduates can also prepare for entry to public relations by studying for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Advanced Certificate. There is no upper age limit for entry to this work. Mature entrants, however, need relevant experience.

Entrants to public relations are trained by their employer.

Public relations officers can progress to management posts. Some become freelance consultants or set up their own public relations business.

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