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Public Relations Specialist

Business & Finance

You spin bad news into 'opportunities for growth' and make boring companies sound interesting. You'll write press releases nobody reads, pitch stories to journalists who've already stopped listening, and manage social media crises where the CEO tweeted something at midnight they definitely shouldn't have.

Salary Range

Low

$40k

Median

$63k

High

$100k

10-Year Growth

faster than average

US Workers

279K

Education

Bachelor's in Communications, PR, or Journalism

Environment

indoor

Tools & Technical Skills

  • Press release and media pitch writing
  • Media monitoring tools (Meltwater, Cision, Muck Rack)
  • Social media management platforms (Hootsuite, Sprout Social)
  • Crisis communication protocols
  • Analytics and sentiment analysis
  • AP style writing

People & Mindset Skills

  • Storytelling ability
  • Relationship building with journalists
  • Composure during crises
  • Persuasion
  • Creativity
  • Written communication

Learn the skills

Courses and certifications to get you job-ready

What you'll actually do

  • 01Write press releases that make quarterly earnings sound like a moon landing
  • 02Pitch story ideas to journalists who get 500 pitches a day and read maybe 3
  • 03Monitor media coverage and social media for brand mentions that might ruin your afternoon
  • 04Draft talking points for executives who will go off-script within 30 seconds
  • 05Manage crisis communications when the company does something the internet doesn't like
  • 06Maintain relationships with reporters who only call you back when they need something

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