So You’re Going to School for Public Relations: What Are You Going to Do with Your Degree?

When I tell people that I’m going to school for public relations, they sometimes give me a funny look. I find that this reaction is based on past perceptions of the field and the negative connotations surrounding public relations. Once I’ve explained that people in the profession are moving away from spin and focusing more on being truthful to their publics and stakeholders, their follow-up question is usually, “So what are you going to do with your public relations degree then?”

Public relations is an interesting and exciting field because you can do communications for various industries. When you think about it, just about every business, no matter how large they are, requires some form of communication; how else are they going to get their message out there and maintain a strong connection to their stakeholders? Communication experts and public relations professionals are in high demand nowadays. With communication being so rapid in our current times, we’re learning how to manage it and keep up with the fast-paced media cycle.

You aren’t limited to being just a publicist or a public relations practitioner with your degree. Other job titles that are specially fit for public relations professionals include copywriting, event management, media research, social media management, and so much more. If the position requires a strong focus on writing and communication, chances are your public relations coursework is already building those skillsets.

I plan on working in the music industry in publicity or artist management with my public relations degree. By combining my skills from my public relations coursework with positions in Temple’s Music Business Club and WHIP doing event planning and promotions, I am working my way into a specific area of expertise and focusing on the type of communications I want to pursue. What you do on the side to supplement your degree can set you apart from the pack and help you break into the type of communications you’re most passionate about. Public relations students are worth their weight in gold, so the possibilities are endless for us communications professionals as we work toward getting our degrees.

Gavin Joyce, Account Associate