CareerGPS

Public Relations Specialists
Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Public Relations Specialists
Employment Employment Change Average Annual Job Openings Wage & Training Levels
2020 2025 Numerical Percent New Jobs Replacement Jobs Total Median Hourly Median Annual Training Levels
2,628 2,847 219 8.33% 44 257 301 $44.24 $92,011 Bachelor's degree
Description: Engage in promoting or creating good will for individuals, groups, or organizations by writing or selecting favorable publicity material and releasing it through various communications media. May prepare and arrange displays, and make speeches.
Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023)

Occupation Details

The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.

  • Prepare or edit organizational publications for internal and external audiences, including employee newsletters and stockholders' reports.
  • Respond to requests for information from the media or designate another appropriate spokesperson or information source.
  • Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, and public interest groups.
  • Plan and direct development and communication of informational programs to maintain favorable public and stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments and agenda.
  • Confer with production and support personnel to produce or coordinate production of advertisements and promotions.
  • Arrange public appearances, lectures, contests, or exhibits for clients to increase product and service awareness and to promote goodwill.
  • Study the objectives, promotional policies and needs of organizations to develop public relations strategies that will influence public opinion or promote ideas, products and services.
  • Confer with other managers to identify trends and key group interests and concerns or to provide advice on business decisions.
  • Consult with advertising agencies or staff to arrange promotional campaigns in all types of media for products, organizations, or individuals.
  • Coach client representatives in effective communication with the public and with employees.

Knowledge

95%
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
94%
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
75%
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
69%
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
58%
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
50%
Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills

78%
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
75%
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
75%
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
72%
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
69%
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
65%
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
65%
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
65%
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
62%
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
62%
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
56%
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
56%
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
53%
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
53%
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
50%
Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
50%
Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
50%
Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

Abilities

88%
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
85%
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
78%
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
75%
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
72%
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
69%
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
65%
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
65%
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
65%
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
62%
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
56%
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
56%
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
56%
Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
50%
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
50%
Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Work Activities

97%
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
91%
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
88%
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
83%
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
82%
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
79%
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
77%
Interacting With Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
76%
Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
73%
Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
68%
Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
66%
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
65%
Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
65%
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
64%
Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
58%
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
58%
Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
57%
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
56%
Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
55%
Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
54%
Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
53%
Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
50%
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Title Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Overall Experience A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job Training Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Job Zone Examples Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, sales managers, database administrators, teachers, chemists, environmental engineers, criminal investigators, and special agents.
Education Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Interests

Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic - Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Work Styles

Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Work Values

Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.