Public Relations Specialist
Comprehensive Sites
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Public Relations SpecialistYou can find out what it’s like to work in the field of public relations at this page, created by the U.S. Department of Labor. It includes information on employment, projected job growth, potential earnings, and important sources of additional information.
CareerOneStop: Public RelationsCareerOneStop provides a site full of public relations resources from this location, where, after clicking on a specific job title, you can first access a video on the career. Other connections include information on national salary data, by state, an occupational profile, and education and training. First click on a selected topic, and then choose the state you are interested in finding information about. By accessing the education and training finder, you can locate state-by-state listings and links to programs in public relations.
Princeton Review: Public RelationsDiscover what a day in the life of a public relations specialist might be like at this in-depth description, as well as associated careers. Facts and figures about salary and major professional organizations can be viewed, as well as information on academic programs around the country and a career search tool.
Occupational Titles
Public Relations Specialist
Public Relations Account Supervisor
Public Relations Assistant
Public Relations Coordinator
Public Relations Managers
Manager, Public Relations
Director of Public Affairs
Accredited Academic Programs
PR NewsOnline: PR College GuideThis site offers a resource for locating PR departments in colleges and universities across the U.S. If you want to find a strong PR department, compare one to another, or learn more about faculty or courses, this site might help you find what you’re looking for. You can search by keyword, name, city, state, or faculty.
Princeton Review: College Major, Public RelationsSince students interested in public relations can study in a variety of undergraduate programs, you may want to look at the list of potential majors here, such as journalism or advertising. After selecting what interests you, click on “Schools Offering the Major” at the left of the page, to then be taken to a comprehensive list of colleges.
Salary Levels
PayScale: Public Relations (PR) ManagerPayscale’s site for public relations specialists provides the median salary in several cities across the U.S. The median salary by employer type or years of experience is also shown, and you can narrow your search with specifics, such as city, experience, skills, and degree. You can also entire any new job title in the box at the left for more information.
Salary.com: Public Relations JobsSeveral links to jobs in the field of public relations are available from this page. By clicking on any on, you will be connected to a graph displaying the 25th, median, and 75th percentile for your selection.
Professional Organizations
Global AllianceThis organization strives to bring together PR professionals together from around the world. The latest industry news and features, as well as the ethics of the profession are discussed here. You can find samples of award-winning PR campaigns that demonstrate the best practices in public relations.
League of American Communications ProfessionalsStudents are eligible for membership in this communications organization, which offers a salary guide and access to more than 50 other tools and resources for the profession to help you develop a set of skills for your career. The organization has a variety of competitions and awards, including those for best publicity campaigns and other employee communication awards.
Public Relations Society of AmericaDepartments at this site include strategy and tactics, a calendar of PR events, news of the organization, and educational and networking opportunities. A student society is a separate part of this organization, and linking to it will take you to information for students that includes blogs, a job and internships center, and headlines of interest to those thinking of entering or new to the profession.
Job Opportunity Sources
Council of Public Relations Firms: Career CenterA quick job search is available after a brief registration process. You can browse current jobs by search criteria, create a job agent, or read information about featured employers and opportunities in the PR field.
International Association of Business Communicators: Job Posting BoardThe job seekers section of this professional organization’s site offers access to many viewable positions across the country in public relations and communications. Search the board by location or job type.
Odwyerpr.com: PR Job SeekersThe job listing here offers many positions across communications and public relations nationwide. Save any job you want to consider, or view more details and apply online.
PRNews Online: PR Job CenterNew employment opportunities are available at this page, where you can post an anonymous resume, view jobs, or create your own personal job alert. You can register and log on as a guest to create an account and access all the features this powerful job search tool has to offer you.
Licensing & Certification
Public Relations Society of America: AccreditationThis is a professional certification program open to PR employees. The program is administered by a group of 9 top organizations in the PR industry. After earning a bachelor’s degree and working in the field for a certain period of time, you can become eligible for accreditation, explained at this page.
Publications
Odwyerpr.comOffering important news in the world of public relations and marketing communications, this site also has links to the PR job market, publications of the organization, a list of 400 PR firms, their rankings, and more than 300 PR links and blogs to participate in.
PR News OnlineNews and strategies in PR, which gives advice on the best techniques in public relations, are discussed at this site. A PR news blog, full-text of the current magazine issue, and channels on media relations and research are also provided. The college guide at the left-hand menu takes you to a resource for locating PR departments in universities across the U.S.
PR WeekAccess the U.S. site and gain entry to hot topics in public relations and affairs. Blogs, podcasts, a job directory, and news of the industry are all available at this online publication.
Online Forums & Blogs
Public Relations Student Society of America: BlogShare your thoughts or read others’ with plenty of posts available here on the current state of the public relations profession. Archived posts and tools for your professional development are also available.
Public Relations Student Society of America: CommunityThe web pages available from this site include a general discussion forum where you can talk about your future career, as well as rooms to get to know one another, and a room for student-run firms.
Career Videos
CareerOneStop: Public Relations VideoHear about public relations jobs as you watch this video, designed to introduce you to the industry and all its related activities.
CollegeGrad.com: Public Relations SpecialistExplaining the work of public relations specialists, this video discusses how to do this job effectively and examples of the type of work you would do if working in the industry.
