How to Become a Publicist

Start looking for public relations work. Once you’ve completed your degree, begin searching for jobs in the public relations or communications field. Websites like journalismjobs.com^[10] and prsa.org^[11] are great places to share your resume or search through job listings, but many area businesses will also advertise openings in your local newspaper. Contain your search to positions specified as "entry level" or "assistant" if you don't have any professional experience; employers understand that the applicants for these positions are often straight out of college or just breaking into the career field.^[12]

• Relate any major projects, rewards or achievements you garnered for yourself through your education or internship to prospective employers during the interview process.

Develop your own professional image. After all, your intended career is based around promoting a positive public image. Whether it’s your first interview or your first day of work, be sure that you’re dressed appropriately and professionally, you’re ready to meet and share ideas with new people and you have everything you need to get to work. Publicists often speak for their client in front of the cameras as well as in print, so many employers demand a personable attitude, friendly demeanor and professional bearing.

• How you carry yourself reflects on your capabilities as a public relations expert every bit as much as the image you manage to construct for your clients. You are your own first PR project!
• Publicity can be an excellent career choice if you consider yourself a “people person,” as the type of work it entails is centered around establishing and maintaining positive relationships and interactions between a single person or group and the public at large.^[13]

Work your way to the top. Attaining one of the more coveted and high-earning publicist positions, like public relations director, can take many years of taxing work. Be prepared to spend your first few years writing press releases and taking care of basic administrative tasks before you make it into the big leagues being trusted with high-profile projects. Stay focused and put your best ideas out. If you work hard enough for long enough, you’re bound to be noticed and rewarded for your efforts.

• Don’t be discouraged if you don’t land your dream job right away. Publicity is a complex and evolving profession that can often be very competitive, and as you gain experience, you’re sure to move ahead in the runnings for bigger opportunities, more important assignments, and higher wages.

Consider going back to school. Returning to school to pursue a master’s level degree or higher can help keep you marketable and make you a sought-after commodity after a few years in the industry. Many publicists who represent important entertainment and business luminaries got there by furthering their education and gradually taking on bigger, more important assignments as their expertise grew.^{[14] [15]}

• Should you ever wish to teach public relations courses at a university level or operate your own PR firm, having a graduate degree may give you just the advantage you need.
• In general, the higher the level of education you’ve achieved, the more qualified you will seem to employers heading the field.

Constantly improve your skills. Don’t be content with simply landing a job in the publicity field—avail yourself of every resource available to you to hone your craft and continue advancing.^[16] Accept challenging projects graciously, form beneficial connections with as many industry heavy-hitters as you can and always look for new ways to make your work stand out. Where you end up depends entirely on how willing you are to keep learning new things.

• Periodically attending workshops and seminars can give you fresh ideas and motivation to stay at the top of your game.^[17]

Become adept at rhetorical arguments. When engaged in public relations work, you need to know how to present compelling addresses and written materials that frame your client in the best possible light. This falls under the heading of rhetoric (the art of being convincing through language) and it is arguably the most essential skill any publicist or marketing specialist should possess. Even when you’re not actively trying to convince the public of any one particular fact, every strategy should be formulated as though you were making a logically-supported, directed appeal. Your credibility as a public relations expert will be assured with an understanding of the central tenets of rhetorical discourse.^[18]

• Use the “rhetorical triangle” model to structure your statements and press releases: understand the relationship between yourself (the presenter), the audience and the context of an argument. This will help ensure that argument takes hold in the minds of your audience.^[19]
• Always have a clear goal in mind whenever you begin a project, no matter how minor or routine. The language of your press materials should be centered around this goal.

Practice creative exercises. A good deal of public relations work involves taking negative or confusing circumstances and recasting them in a positive light. This requires you to be able to call upon your creative faculties and make them a well-worn tool in your arsenal. Study the habits of creative people, take notice of even the smallest details and learn to improvise. The better you are at thinking up ways to elevate your client in the public eye, the more status you’ll gain in your profession.^{[20] [21]}

• Try incorporating brief creative mental exercises into your daily routine, such as concocting fictional histories for people and places you’ve never seen before, or highlighting one word per line in a newspaper column to tell a short story.
• The term “spin” deals with changing the appearance of circumstantial details to preserve one’s reputation, not fabricating those details. You should never lie or alter the facts in order to make your client look better.