Something encouraging is afoot…

Yes, the good times are back! I’m selling everything I own and will start day-trading again

There’s something to that hunch, though. Even though job opportunities were lacking in the last few years because of the economy (or at least so I’ve heard since I’ve never actually been in the job market other than college part-time jobs), it seems hard economic times would be when businesses would appreciate the investment of a marketing-communications representative.

After all, it is in periods of instability and financial uncertainty that Public Relations thrives. When companies are going bankrupt or their stock is down is when they need someone to be able to instill their publics with faith in the company. That’s probably why the job market for promotions, advertising, PR and marketing is projected to increase more than the entire job market by 2014 (there’s a little statistic for everyone that I found here: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos020.htm#outlook)

I think (and this is also just a hunch on my part) that businesses, if they didn’t realize the need for Public Relations in the troubling economic times, are learning of the advantages and are starting to invest in marketing-communications more and more. So now, even if the entire job market is increasing, the marketing-communications market is growing ten-fold and I think it is growing out of the hard times that companies faced beforehand which cut so many other job opportunities in the first place. I think everyone learned that hard times call for good PR.

As far as I’m concerned I am glad I love PR because it is really thriving more and more in our politically correct and socially conscious society these days.

Well, that’s GREAT news!

Way back when … when I was first looking into PR as a major, I looked at the website for the Department of Labor. I had pretty much already decided PR was what I wanted to do, and the positive projections they offered solidified that choice. (Well, and it gave it some weight when I talked to my parents about it. Isn’t it fun to remember back to just a few years ago when a prediction was made … and now, actually get to see it come into play? Even better when that means things are looking good for you!

And Dee — for the news to start reporting optimism, good faith, positive events, etc. … well, it could happen. I’ve experience two big miracles (and many tiny ones) in my lifetime so far. So who knows. It could happen. I’ll be pushing for it, nonetheless.

While it is true that PR jobs are increasing (in quantity as well as quality,) The U.S. Department of Labor’s statistics show that:

“Keen competition likely will continue for entry-level public relations jobs, as the number of qualified applicants is expected to exceed the number of job openings.”

It is going to be those with a specialty in or extra knowledge about technology, languages and business that get those jobs. When great job opportunities meet with PR or Marketing students who are knowledgeable about new media, you will have executives realizing how beneficial PR, Marketing or Communications Departments are. If students who enter into jobs are doing more, our field will do more. If our field does more, we are more likely to be viewed as an indispensable asset to our employers. But, that’s just a hunch, Josh.

The most encouraging news for me to hear is that spending for departments is up. Having more resources is always a positive leading to different ideas and techniques. When you have more resources, you have more freedom to try new ideas.

It seems simple. Do a good job. Stay up-to-date on current events and trends. Be ethical. Don’t pull a Scanlon. Reap the benefits of a good reputation in PR. But, how do you become “one of the greats?” What are the characteristics of the best PR professionals you know?

Being a hopeless romantic, and having the attitude (for the most part) of an eternal optimist, it is not like me to offer any pessimism to a situation, but there is a first time for everything. I am going to play the part of the guy who “pinches” everyone, bringing them crashing back to reality. Corporate budgets may indeed be increasing, in turn providing more professional jobs to our economy. Heck, this might even be the best the job market has looked in years. BUT, I say unto you, WHO REALLY WANTS TO READ ABOUT THAT? I’ll admit it, (as a soon-to-be graduate) I LOVE to hear that jobs are on the up, and opportunities are easy to be found; but if I WASN’T near graduation, and I was employed, this news would in fact not be news. Whether it’s the local news in Huntsville, or national news on any of the three networks, how much positive news do you hear in a 30 minute broadcast? About 2 minutes, and that’s normally about adopting a pet. Why is this? It’s because we are SUPPOSED to do good things…that’s what’s expected. Highlighting that doesn’t get our attention. Instead it’s the car accident that killed 2 young boys, the celebrity couple who has had affairs and is now divorcing, the natural disaster that killed thousands of people, and the crazy sniper who murdered 12 people that we want to read. I’m glad to hear the good news, but the bottom line is, I won’t CHOOSE (as you mentioned in your post) to read about this, because it will prove itself in situations that I live out (job interviews, opportunities, etc.). For when it comes to the end of the day, and I look at the top stories, I will be clicking on the unfortunate events. Maybe that’s just me though.

I am exciting that the opportunities for knowledgeable PR and marketingpeople are on the rise. I also agree with the prior comments to that news. A smart organization will see the need for thorough communication to its publics through the best media channels possible. It seems that a new and more efficient form of technology to accomplish this is available with each passing year. It is the people that master these new media that will reap the benefits of the increasing job market.

There is something that disturbs me about one of the above comments though. Ashley brings up the point that it is during the difficult times when the value of PR practitioners and marketing departments is realized. This is an unfortunate, yet probably true, observation. Management does turn to its communication experts when there are bumps in the road. Executives should be aware, however, that the good times are possible because of the continuing work of PR and marketing people to convey a consistent, positive image to its publics at all times. PR practitioners are the people the advise management in order to prevent “periods of instability and financial uncertainty.”

I look forward to diving into the current job market with its many opportunities. I also hope that management and the other members of the organization I someday work for will always see the value of my position, not just when they are forced to use me.

As a soon-to-be graduate in what has historically been an extremely competitive and cut-throat job market, it is refreshing to hear some good news for the first time in awhile. Also, I agree with you that good news is not something we tend to hear about very often. Unfortunately, what typically sells is the bad news.

But, shouldn’t there be room for some good every now and then?

It’s a sad fact that our society longs to hear about the train derailments, the school shootings and the Nick and Jessica breakup. I wonder if it is because we have become desensitized to the bad going on around us, or if it is in a way a release. Does seeing bad things happen to others in a way make us feel better about what is going on in our own lives?

For me personally, throwing in some good with the enormity of the bad helps to keep me a little more sane. There is only so much horror I can take from the evening news. In Lance’s comment, he mentions the stories about pet adoption. It’s somewhat ironic to me that these feel-good stories always come at the end of the newscast, usually as the credits are rolling. To me this means two things: 1) These are typically the fluff pieces of the broadcast. (As well they should be. Obviously, the stories about the war in Iraq and the murder of a convenience store clerk take priority over the Jones family saving Spot from being put to sleep at the Humane Society.) and 2) Some news producer somewhere wants me to have a little faith that not everything in my world is bad today. Now the cynical (and logical) part of me realizes that this is probably because he wants me to watch again tomorrow, but that’s okay with me. I’ll continue to watch and hope that maybe tomorrow there will be more good news to report.

For those of us who are near graduation, learning that our chosen profession is favored more and more causes us to temporarily breathe a sigh of relief. We hear the horror stories of the people who spend thousands of dollars and years of their life pursuing a degree, only to find post-graduate work at the local fast-food restaurant. To know that our opportunities for post-graduate employment are increasing provides us with a calming sensation that we won’t be a main character in one of those “horror stories.”

However, I have to wonder about further down the road. With technology progressing as quickly as it does, five or 10 years in the future could create a dynamic effect in the opportunities for the PR profession. PR is a broad profession in that it is flexible and can be incorporated into a wide range of positions and responsibilities. But with technology taking over so much of our society, more and more of these responsibilities will fall into the technical aspect of a company, organization, etc. And while we can learn the new technological aspects, the number of people needed to perform these tasks will significantly decrease. A manual task may require five people, while the same task using technology may only require one or two people.

Unfortunately, just because we have a job, doesn’t mean we will keep that job. We hear all the time in the news, the negative unhappy news, about massive layoffs. These layoffs occur for all sorts of reasons, but it all boils down to this: “We need to get rid of people, so who can we function without? Who are the most expendable?” If a company hires me upon graduation, five years from now they may put me in that category of the “most expendable.”

Hopefully companies will continue to adjust with the advancing of technology; but in the event they can’t keep up, that doesn’t provide much long term demand for the PR profession.

It’s true that the good news is never broadcasted; only the news that makes us gloomy and depressed. The ironic thing is that we hear about shootings, rapes, kidnaps, and explosions so frequently that we are becoming immuned to this news and it has a numbing effect on us. Therefore, maybe shining some light into typically dark subjects will actually get the public’s attention.

I think it’s great news that there is more spending by marketing and communications departments and, consequently, more job vacancies. I’m glad I chose a field that is booming, especially at a time when new technologies and inventions are wiping out old jobs and creating new jobs.

I agree with Brandie, however, that although we may be fortunate to have a job in our chosen field of PR, that doesn’t mean we will keep that job. We must realize that jobs are mortal. For this reason, we must possess the latest skills and be familiar with several different areas of PR. We may be secure with our job for 30 years, but inevitably, jobs die. Each year 30 million jobs end and 15 million of them turn into vacancies that have to be re-filled. Therefore, we may have to change careers, by identifying what transferable skills we possess from our previous career or careers. If we are only familiar with one area of PR, how will we be prepared in the future when our job is terminated, we lose interest, we want to try something new, we’re seeking more pay or we are moving? We must always stay current in our field and educated in all aspects that surround and affect PR.

I agree with everyone in that it is great news hearing that the PR job market is looking promising for up and coming graduates. Being one myself (along with the majority of commenters here), one of the most frightening things I think I will have to face in my life, is trying to find a decent, well-paying, entry-level Public Relations job that I like. In past years, this was deemed almost impossible. In fact, it really wasn’t until recent years that many professionals have realized that Public Relations is an essential and imperative part to running an organization of any size or kind.

Just last week, my parents were asking why public relations, as a profession, seems to be growing so much. My response to them was simple…corporations are realizing that it is a vital and crucial part to an organization. For the longest time, public relations was only used by corporations when something went wrong and the business needed to correct the mistake. In this case, a company spokesman would schedule a press conference and publicly apologize or right their wrong. Now, however, businesses realize that public relations practices are the only way to bring good media attention to a company/business, survey the population to find what the market needs, and/or to promote well-doing (just to name a few).

I agree with Ashley’s comment above, when she says that it seems like companies would look to promote their public relations/marketing/communications representative when economic times are down. Like I said above, public relations is one of the only mediums in which media attention can be brought to the company. When times are rough for a company, a good PR practitioner should be able to re-instill good faith in the consumer and marketplace.

It is becoming more obvious that companies are beginning to realize that public relations is an indispensable function to every organization.

I can remember when my brother graduated about four years ago. The job market was at its worst and it was extremely difficult for my brother and his friends to get interviews let alone jobs, and they all were graduates from the Georgia Insitute of Technology were for years everyone has said if you have a diploma from Tech, you’ll have a job. Well now it is refreshing to hear there is hope I will not have to experience the disappointment and frustration of job hunting. Since I have been in the public relations major, every professor and adviser has warned how difficult it will be to find a job and has basically prepared us for failure. I am not one to take failure lightly or to give in to pessimism, but when that is all that is beaten into your brain, I have often been left wondering “did I pick the right major?” I know this is the field for me, but I am just relieved to hear that there IS a job waiting for me out there as well. Maybe, just maybe as you say, the day will come where optimism and good thoughts will be the cover stories on all newspapers, but for now, I’m sure my father would thank you to hear I will have a job when I graduate.

Things do seem to be looking up for all of us fellow PR students, but will it hold true when we finally take that final leap and enter the “real” world. Well, I hope so. Graduation is creeping upon many of us and news like this post is the most encouraging thing we can read.

The concept of reality is beginning to hover over our heads as we prepare our portfolio and begin those searches for job openings and opportunities. After reading the Generally Accepted Practices Study conducted by USC Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center, it seems to reinforce what this post states. Over the one-year span of 2003 to 2004 Public Relations was found to be climbing in many companies’ level of importance. Larger budgets, more positions, and precedence over other departments does make the future for PR seem a little more attractive.

But I have to question the ever-changing and evolving world we live in today. Will PR be able to keep up? Will PR grow or will it combine with another field? With each day a minor discovery is made and looking back over the past decade things have changed so much. Technology has shaped the world and created a dependence of companies on its mere existence. So, although PR seems to be growing I have to be a bit hesitant to jump for joy.

So my tip for keeping up, helping PR grow, and our future, as students entering the field, is to involve ourselves in as many diverse fields as possible. Don’t be expendable. Be a necessity. Don’t be replaceable.

Obviously this news is music to the ears of all of us soon-to-graduate PR students that are fretting over what we will do when this party known as college comes to a skreetching halt. Being a former theatre major myself, I can’t say that the threat of being without a paying job that will allow me to eat on a daily basis is a new threat to me. However, it is wonderful to hear that the job market is growing and making space for us newcomers. I, along with many of the others that have made comments, have been constantly reminded over the past couple of years about how competitive the job market was getting in the field of public relations, so I have been a little concerned about where life might lead me after I depart from this fine institution. However, whether the job market is saturated to the brim or hungering for new blood, I want to remind everyone to not get discouraged. As public relations practitioners, we should always be hungry for a good challenge. If you are concerned about the possibility not finding a job, just try to look at it as a bad situation that needs a little crisis management!

It seems as though we all agree that more jobs in the field of PR is a good thing. I agree with that statement, but I also agree with Lara. I know that PR is just starting to come of its own. It has not been consider an “ethcial” profession by many people outside of the field of PR. Now people are seeing that PR is not about lies and cover-ups. PR is about helping organizations and businesses do their best work. Unfortunately, there are PR groups out there that do very unethical things and hurt our reputation. But guess what? There are those type of people in every singe profession.

It bothers me when I tell someone I am studying PR and the first thing they say is that I am going to be a professional liar. My fear is that if too many people feel this way about PR, then can we get enough support for the profession to last for many years? If we take advantage of the job opportunites given to us and show good ethical PR then we may stand a chance. I like to think it will last, but if people won’t stop looking at us as liars then we may not stand a fair chance 15 or 20 years down the road.

I join with everyone in expressing my excitement about the addition of public relations careers. My concern is with the credibility of our profession. We all know how important public relations really is to corporations. I just wish people would realize that public relations isn’t just the spin doctor vocation. In my marketing classes this semester, I have received disapproving looks from peers and professors alike when I tell them about my major. While I am thrilled that more job openings are becoming available, my wish is that people outside our profession would quit looking at us as if we were beneath the marketing students.

Many of the jobs I have looked at ask for a major in marketing, public relations, communications or related field. I want others to know what most of us already do: that public relations students can compete for these jobs right along with the marketing students and do just as great or better of a job than they can.

I think that is why the statistic that Lara presented is so important for us to cling to. PR is growing in importance in corporate America. Public relations departments are getting more credit and in turn more responsibility. And that is why more jobs are being created for our field. It’s nice to know that there are more jobs out there and that hopefully, with more jobs, we can get more respect as well.