A day in the life of a public relations specialist is busy. Public relation specialists are required to work 35 to 40 hours a week. They are on the job all the time and right there if something wrong occurs. Sometimes the routine of a specialist is interrupted, and the plan of action has to be rearranged due to different deadlines, or a change in activities in the area, or required traveling. It is common for specialists to have to work overtime but not get paid for it. Thus, it is imperative for a PR specialist to be flexible (Career Information).
There are several issues that would make a person reconsider going into PR field. One reason would be that a specialist usually has to work overtime and not get paid for that time. Thus, such an individual work more and get paid less. Another reason would be that many specialists have to constantly be on the job, or constantly on call. And lastly, there is a good chance, that on the job, the specialist would frequently be distracted by other tasks that would need to be completed. Many specialists must rearrange their schedules in order to include extra job activities, to travel, or to prepare speeches (Career Information).
During my senior project I had the pleasure of working with Mrs. Pam Collins as my mentor. During our planning stage of the project, I observed her making phone calls to different individuals in the community to find out what we would be able to do for my project. I discussed with her different aspects of the project, such as promotion, requesting donations, buying needed materials, and organizing each thing for a specific purpose.
I took her advice on when and how to speak publicly to people about my project. For example, during the New Century Scholar Senior Parent Night, she suggested that I introduce my project plan as a speech to the students and parents were in attendance. That helped me realize what to change for future promotions, and I successfully began my first step towards promoting my project publicly. Afterwards, I felt more comfortable speaking publicly as I promoted my project on the radio, in local newspapers, and finally the night of the fundraiser event.
During my time with my mentor, I spent a lot of time talking first-hand to different people in the community. Because many materials were needed for the project from the community, it was essential that we made sure that we went throughout the community to ensure that those materials were obtained. Once approved, I also sent a letter to over 100 businesses, telling them about my project, the importance of it, and also asking for any donation, monetary or supplies, to help contribute to the actual event.
The day of the event took a lot of planning and organization. My mentor and I spent the beginning part of the day collecting remaining materials needed for the event that night. When those tasks were completed, we began the next phase and started setting up at the place of our event such as getting food materials set up in the kitchen, and the raffle items. Later, soon before the event was to take place, I was to pick up the food, then return to get the food set up ready to serve.
The night itself was a big success. We had our scholars assigned to different tables to serve to ensure that every guest was served promptly and formally. Scholars were also assigned to work at the raffle table to assist guests who wanted to participate in the raffle. For the entertainment part of the night, we had the Franklin B*Naturals perform selected pieces, and after their performance the pianist, Vinnie Agrusa, performed. That night, we had less than 100 people attend, but the result was better than expected. I expected a total of $1500 to be raised that night, but we were able to raise more than $1700, and a few weeks later we received another $100 donation. During my interview with the Macon County News that night, I called it a great success.
In conclusion, public relations has existed for thousands of years. There are several different colleges one can attend, with varying costs, to obtain a Public Relations degree. A public relations specialist will see many different tasks within their average day and may face several different issues that can make public relations a questionable career choice for a person who is not flexible and not able to handle pressure. However, if you enjoy working with, and in front, of many people, have a flexible personality, and can multitask, the rewards of becoming a public relations director are quite great.
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