I aspired to dive into the PR world in my senior year of high school but quickly learned that it takes more than passion and having an outgoing, people-person personality. To put it simply: public relations isn’t for the weak hearted. The world of PR requires consistent attention, nonstop energy, working weeknights and weekends, patience, and constant pressure. While PR is a challenging but rewarding career for some, it isn’t necessarily for everyone.
So how do you know if public relations is the right direction for your life? To begin, here are 5 signs a PR career isn’t for you:
- You aren’t a people person
You have to be able to get along with people, be a strong communicator, and be personable. PR specialists are constantly dealing with individuals of all personalities and you must know how to get along well with all types of crowds.
- Writing isn’t in your blood
By no means do you have to be a novelist but writing should be one of your top skills. And you better enjoy it because you will be writing everyday between press releases, blog posts, articles, media pitches, speeches, news releases, etc. So if you despise writing, this career may not be for you.
- You aren’t great at multi-tasking
PR isn’t for you if balancing multiple tasks with grace doesn’t come naturally. Most PR firms will have you juggling numerous projects or client accounts at a time. Many PR professionals delight in the multi-tasking because it keeps them on their toes. But if the idea of the constant business frightens you: run.
- Organization isn’t your strong suit
Since PR involves constant multi-tasking, being organized is the only way to stay sane. A lack of organization skills could potentially result in missing deadlines, mixing up client information, or misplacing data.
- You can’t handle rejection
Sadly, rejection is a common occurrence in the PR world. From critical clients to difficult reporters, you need to be thick-skinned to protect yourself from discouragement. If your emotions get in the way and you are prone to taking rejection personally, it may be time to rethink a PR career.