A public relations officer’s main role is to ensure that the public has a positive image of an organization. This is achieved through coordination of various activities that ensures that a company’s reputation is kept at the highest possible standards.
Several skills are required for an individual to perform well as a public relations officer. The most important skill is the ability to communicate effectively. Since communication is a two-way traffic, good listening and writing skills are also vital. Furthermore, problem solving and reasoning skills are a necessity for effective performance of duties required of a public relations officer.
Good management skills, in terms of efficient time management, people, and oneself are also relevant. In addition, a person should possess teamwork skills and also have the ability of utilizing the available resources to achieve the desired goals within a given time.
The major organizations that hire public relations officers are universities, colleges, professional associations, businesses, and non-profit organizations. These organizations hire public relation officers on a permanent or contract basis that may be long or short term.
For an individual to successfully acquire a job opportunity in the field of public relation, the specifications depend on the level of the job. In the case of a public relations manager, the individual must possess a bachelor’s degree in public relations or related courses, a high school diploma, and a minimum of five years working experience.
Other employment opportunities in public relations require a minimum of high school diploma with additional educational requirements that are relevant to the duties of a public relations officer. Some of the high school courses that are relevant in this field include journalism, public speaking, communication, creative writing, technical writing, principles of advertising, and computer applications. The degree, which is a requirement for a management position in the public relations field, can only be obtained at the university level.
The courses that are required for an individual to work in the public relations field are offered in almost all the public and private local universities. For instance, in Alabama, institutions that offer relevant courses required in this field include Auburn University, Community College of the Air Force, Spring Hill College, University of Alabama, and University of Phoenix.
The remunerations in this field depend on the job classification level, the organization, and the state’s salary regulations. However, the national’s average entry salary for a public relations manager is $68,060 annually. The medium and top annual salaries are $93,310 and $130,780 respectively.
This field expects to obtain more employment opportunities from consumer products and services companies due to the increasing competition among the companies. The growth rate of job opportunities in this field is 14.1% in Arizona. Nationally, public relations job opportunities are growing at about 16.5% per annum.
This value is higher than the growth rate of all occupations that lie at about 14.3%. There are more job opportunities in the field of public relations in other states compared to Arizona. In comparison to the rest of the United States, the number of job openings in Arizona is moderate on average. There are 60 annual job openings in Arizona compared to 27,900 jobs in the whole of the United States.