The simplest answer for how to become a public relations manager, is having a knack of making effective relationships and maintaining them.
Being a public relations (PR) manager is a totally people oriented job. A career as a PR executive is more about a choice, than about a result of pursuing a specific academic interest. A person, with a bachelor’s degree of any discipline can become a public relations manager, provided he has the skill for the job. Many companies do look out for candidates who come from media backgrounds, as they have an edge in understanding dynamics of communication. As many companies search for ways to promote their products and services, they require PR executives who can deliver the best kind of promotion techniques.
How to Become a PR Manager
Bachelor’s Degree
As mentioned earlier, getting a bachelor’s degree is very important to chase a career of a public relations manager. A PR executive is responsible for company’s image, reputation, consequent business and its expansion and profitability. As they are the mediators between the company’s board of director, employees, stakeholders and the outsiders, communication is a crucial part of their job description. Following this reason, several recruiters seek candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in communications. Aspirants with a bachelor’s degree in a field like literature, journalism, sociology, psychology or philosophy are also preferred.
Internships
If you are someone with a bachelor’s degree in engineering or science, then interning with a PR firm is even more important for you. An internship will teach you more than what any textbook can. Most of the media firms are on a constant hunt for interns who will work for free. Get in touch with them and tell them your requirements. Learn about organizational skills for managers, skill of drafting letters, draft speeches, arrange interviews, write newsletters, tactics of dealing with clients and intricacies of communicating with the employees. Getting a hands-on experience will give you good exposure to the kind of field PR is. You can study PR as a part of your post graduation. This will help you in establishing a good network right from the college days.
The Job
After interning for about six months, you can start looking out for jobs. Do remember to collect your recommendations from your previous employers (place where you’ve interned). This will add to your portfolio and validate the kind of work you’ve done. Getting a job can be a long drawn process. Your CV will have to be drafted well and impressively to bag every opportunity to work as a PR executive.
Certifications
Getting a job is not the end of how to become a public relations manager, but a start to a glorious career ahead. Enroll yourself in a certification course conducted by Universal Accreditation Board, PRSA and IABC to certifications stating a recognized level of proficiency as a communicator. Keep adding to your work by working for top brands and the best companies. This not only increases your brand equity as a PR manager, but increases your chances of finding a more lucrative job in the same field.
Besides the aforementioned routine, a PR manager needs to have a few skills and abilities as well. He needs have a mature sense of understanding public sentiment, creativity and flexibility of thought, he has to be a problem solver and must have a way with words. All in all, a public relationship manager needs to have the basic ability of creating and maintaining relationships that are effective and benefiting to the company. Lastly, he must have the art of writing and communicating persuasively. Good luck!