What is the role of a public relations officer?

Who is a Public Relations Officer?

Public Relations Officer (PRO) is the first and the foremost person in the organization who liaises between the organization and people or media. 

He would be responsible for the work which includes interacting with media and also delivering speeches on behalf of the organization at various conferences, seminars, etc. Besides, he would be responsible to spread the knowledge about the work of his organization as well as its benefits. He is also required to help people understand the organization’s plans and schemes.

What are the qualifications required to become a public relations officer?

A graduate degree in any stream from a recognized university is required for becoming a public relations officer. Even a bachelor’s degree can be a good start for a career as a PRO. 

It’s important to have good communication skills, as you will have to interact with people from different walks of life. You should know journalism and writing skills as you will have to deal with media people daily. 

You should know different fields of work so that you can answer questions asked by reporters and media persons.

Any person who has completed his graduation can apply for this post. But you should possess some extra skills like good communication skills, good writing skills, knowledge about the work of the organization, etc. to crack this exam. 

What is the nature of work?

A PRO may be required to work both in an office or remotely from home. You may have to travel frequently to different places to attend conferences or seminars. 

Also, you will have to work on holidays, weekends and even late nights. So, you must be hard-working enough to handle all these things.

What are the different streams of public relations?

Public Relations is a broad term that covers a wide range of activities. There are different streams in this field like Corporate PR, Brand PR, Government PR, Media Relations, Event Management, etc. 

There are pros and cons to each stream. For example, Corporate PR would require you to work with people within the organization regularly while Brand PR would require you to interact with people outside the organization. 

So, you must know which stream you are interested in before making any career choice in this field.

What is the scope of public relations? 

The scope of this field is huge because more than 1 billion people are living on earth and each one of them is a consumer at some point of time who needs to be informed about some product or service offered by someone else. 

 So, it’s a vast field where you can make a great career as a public relations officer. 

What is the salary of a public relations officer? 

The salary is very high in this field. You will be paid a handsome amount of salary by your employer or organization, apart from which you can also get many other benefits like medical reimbursement, travel allowances, etc. Your salary will depend on your education and experience as well as on the organization you work for.