A Beginner's Guide to Public Relations

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Where To Start When You're Starting Out In PR

This lens is for those in college or starting a new career in Public Relations. Included here will be information, tips, tricks, and templates to start you on your public relations career. This PR lens will be directed more toward business PR, not PR for individuals. So, if you're interesting in how to start out, check out this lens!

Where To Start

What Makes Me Qualified, What Makes You Qualified, And How This Can Be A Lot Of Fun

What make me qualified?
I am still a relative beginner in the public relations industry. I have been in the business for almost two years and love it as much as the first day I started. I've learned a lot since starting and I hope to be able to share what I've learned with anyone who is interested. I wanted to create a lens so that people with questions can find one source for those answers. Since I'm still fairly new to this, I would LOVE for some feedback!

What makes you qualified?
This business is not for everybody. It's takes a great deal of patience, the capability for creative criticism, and a definite people person. Everyday in PR, you are dealing with clients, customers, sales persons, media, and analysts, just to name a few. It's a challenge on a lot of days and if there is ever a PR crisis, you must know how to act.

How this can be a lot of fun.
Everyday I come to work excited, I love my job! It's a continual learning experience with every new client you meet, press release you put out, and person you talk to. This job and industry is constantly changing and rarely is one day exactly like the next. You get to do new things constantly and you never know where you can be taken.

How To Land That First PR Job

  • To start out, check out some websites on public relations or pick up a book about it. Learn what all the job would entail.
  • In college? Talk with professors in the communications program who know about PR. Or simply take a class on it.
    Not in college? Ask your company you currently work for if they have a PR department. Ask them what PR is like. Or find a PR firm in your area and ask them questions.
  • Become very familiar with the Associated Press style of writing. All press releases are based upon this.
  • Look at getting an internship. In or out of college, this step can be very beneficial in discovering if this might be a career for you. Look at businesses in your area, especially PR firms.
    If you're in college, look at interning for the PR department for your college. This was the best decision I ever made.
  • Look for jobs in your area. In can never hurt to start looking for that new career!

Learn More About PR By Checking Out These Great Books

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Have More Advice? Let Me Know!

Have some more advice? A funny PR story? A big problem you had to solve and how you did it? Please share!

  • the_nezter Jan 3, 2011 @ 9:39 am | delete
    Thanks for putting this lens together, it's a great guide to poblic relations!

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  • Jeff Aug 30, 2010 @ 4:32 pm | delete
    Here's a useful PR site with 6000+ PR jobs, tips, tools, articles & public relations resources: The PR Coach http://www.theprcoach.com.
  • mycar Aug 20, 2010 @ 3:08 am | delete
    Thank you for information about PR chiangmai motor
  • ella harrison Jun 21, 2010 @ 6:47 am | delete
    you have given great information about blogging tips ...thanks so much.
  • marlene3 Oct 1, 2007 @ 1:56 am | delete
    This is a very informative lens and well written, thank you for taking the time to give us this information. Thanks, Marlene 5 stars!
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NCviaFL

Hello Squidoo world! I live in North Carolina now, but have been a Floridian most of my life. I moved to NC to get into the public relations business and... more »

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