Why do I love PR?

 

“People do not buy goods or services. They buy relations, stories and magic”

Seth Godin

Even today, when public relations are well known as a profession, many people ask me, why I  like PR so much? My parents often tell me to leave my PR work and to find some “serious” job. At one of my previous employment, except PR and marketing, I have always got to do something more, because my director considered that “PR and Marketing are not enough as a job position”. Recently, when I was looking for a job, one of my friend told me: „What? PR, marketing? I will hire you to work at the counter in the bank, that is a real job“. Then I would usually try to explain all of them how PR and marketing are very important part of every business, often using Bill Gates quote: „If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations“. But I don’t think that I could convince them. I don’t even try anymore.

Fortunately, on the other side there are a lot of people who recognize the significance of the PR profession. Just a few days ago, at my currently work engagement, I got a compliment: „Jelena, we are happy to have you, you are born to be PR. You just adore your job“. You can’t imagine the quantity of satisfaction which this observation caused in me. Every time I heard something like that, I know that I am going in the right direction.

Do you know how many people in the world love the job they do? According to a massive report released by Gallup (www.gallup.com), only 13% of workers feel engaged by their jobs. That means they  „feel a sense of passion for their work, a deep connection to their employer and they spend their days driving innovation and moving their company forward”.

The rest 87% of workers worldwide according to Gallup “are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and less likely to be productive.” In other words, work is in the most cases a source of a frustration than a satisfaction.

I am a lucky and (obviously) rarely one, who loves her job. Actually, for me it is more than a job. PR is deeply in my personality. It is my lifestyle. As a little girl I have always dreamed about being on television for some reason. Always wanted to be a part of organized acitivites in a kindergarten, school, faculty, as well as in the family and later in a company.

Among all of this, after 10 years experience in public relations, marketing end events industry, I will tell you, why do I love PR. There are so many reasons, but I will feature just a couple of them:

• Communication with different kind of people

As a PR Manager you have an opportunity to communicate with so many people. First of all, you are supposed to create good communication with team members from all management’s levels in your company. In some big companies  there are special job positions for internal PR. The way you communicate with your employees is a form of marketing, and it is very important for company’s reputation. On the other side, we communicate with so many interesting people in our field – from media to  clients and partners of a company. In this way we are constantly developing our “it’s who you know”  network, which is priceless not only in business, but also in life.

Ruthann Harnisch (www.thehf.org) explained it excellent: “Build your networks. They are your wealth. They are your sources, connections, next job, safety net and future”. As you can see, communication is the basic of PR, so more often today, PR Managers are called Corporate Communications managers, specialists or experts. I am a very communicative person, so this is the best reason which describes why I love being PR.

• Creativity and inovations

Creativity is sometimes described as the lifeblood of public relations. It is so true description. Creativity is the key of all PR activities, from promotion to PR strategy, internal communication, nurturing client, media relationships and even crisis management.

Every single day in PR’s life is a workout day. Even if we are not at work, our brain is always ON, because creativity is all around. Many times, some good ideas came out while I was driving, walking in nature or chatting  with my friends. Trully devoted PR managers actually don’t have working hours. We are working even when we are sleeping.

But I love that feeling. It raises me. It keeps my mind opened all the time. It gives me a space for inovations. It is hard work, but it brings a great satisfaction.

• Excitement and dynamics

You are never bored in public relations. It is an ever-evolving industry which brings so much excitement and dynamics. An organising of press conference was one of my first PR tasks. I will never forget how excited I was while I was preparing it, when I was speaking in front of media, answering questions… Even today, after ten years experience, there is still the same feeling.

Beside press conferences, there are many other PR activities, which are dynamic and exciting. I just adore doing the organization of different events, meet clients, travel, do CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities.

Of course, there is a part of our job, when you are sitting in the office for days and days, creating PR strategy, writing texts, presentation, event planning. But in essence of  all activities is dynamics. Any given day is never the same. You are always in the middle of actual happenings in a company. We are the first who will media contact for any information about company. It is also a very stressed profession, but I love it. There is nothing more rewarding than helping an organization overcome business challenges.

• Learning

Pr industry is fast-paced and competitive with lots of change. Can you imagine the revolution which social media caused in media relations? When I started to work, 10 years ago, these media even didn’t exist, or some of them have just been launched. It is obviously that if you want to be successful in PR (as well as in every other profession), you are supposed to learn and grow constantly (both professional and personal). I am the kind of person who loves to learn. Especially when you are learning something you love, you will never forget it. If you advance your professional skills, or learn new skills, you become more valuable to your company, and to yourself.

Learning trains our brain to think and to be stronger. The internet has made continued learning so easy, affordable, and accessible. It’s hard to come up with a good excuse not to keep developing in all areas of your life. And finally as Henry Ford said “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young”.

• Possibilities

Doing PR and marketing for 10 years opened me a lot of opportunities. I met  interesting people from all over the world who inspired me in a different ways. I was traveling, learning, educating, improving skills, getting knowledge and experience. Grew in every sense, as a worker as well as a person. I built my “who you know network”. Worked on many projects.

And everything I said, I am still doing today. A few months ago I started to write a blog and have big plans with it. The blog is a great way to express yourself on the web. I am stll hungry of new possibilities which are all around. Every given day is an inspiration for me to do something which will improve my professional and private life, as well as the business of my clients, the life of friends and family.

If anyone of you discover yourself in any of reasons why I love PR, don’t be afraid to try yourself in this business industry. If you didn’t – great, you probably prefer something else. It is important to recognize what you love, where you can give your best. After that, go for it. Job will become pleasure, you will be more satisfied, life will be better. It’s simple, isn’t it? The best thing is that it’s not impossible, but depends of you and your attitude. Think about that.