As a recent graduate, I can tell you that public relations is nothing like I was taught within the four walls of my institution. Most times, my lecturers made it appear seamless, smooth, and the best job anyone could have. Although it’s indeed a great job, I have come to realize that public relations require thought, consideration, and time. That’s not to make it sound scary, however, it’s critical that you know what you want to accomplish before taking the plunge.
The PR world is not a movie. It takes a LOT of hard work and resilience to see you through. My resume and my education had only helped me get my foot in the door. Keeping the job is an entirely different challenge. No one mentioned that public relations and multitasking work hand in hand. From developing morning reports to monitoring your client’s brand while brainstorming events for another, crafting press articles while grabbing lunch, to planning a media parley while attending to multiple media calls — all within the hour.
I also joined the industry with the hopes of meeting celebrities all day. The first event I attended as an ID African was NEC Live. I was looking forward to it because I knew a lot of celebrities would be there. I was in charge of pictures that day, so I had already put the photographers on standby so I could get some really nice pictures with some public figures and flaunt them on my social media. Do you know what? Not only did I not take photos with them, but I could also only see them from a distance. I was too preoccupied with work to even get a closer look at them, not to talk of getting photos for the gram! The true meaning of “work choke”.
PR isn’t just one big party. It’s not your typical 9-to-5, especially if you find yourself working on digital campaigns for a client. Prepare to trade some of that Netflix-and-chill time for media rounds about a breaking news event. This is just the nature of PR. We put in long hours for that one moment in the spotlight when our client’s work is recognised and rewarded.
It can be overwhelming, but to survive, and more importantly thrive, in this industry, you have to just dive in and learn as you go. That is, learn as much as you can, and don’t shy away from asking questions. I barely asked questions when I first started, but I soon realized that I was doing myself harm. It is unquestionably an investment that will eventually pay off. Observing my senior colleagues alone strengthens my resolve because I want to get there and even further.
I have gained some knowledge during this short journey. You need to be resilient, patient, and constantly strive to produce beautiful results to pursue this career path. If you want to thrive with speed, you have to be effective and efficient. Your viewpoint on life would change, and all you would want to do is progress and scale through all hurdles successfully.
Taking a day out to celebrate PR practitioners is essential. We definitely deserve to be recognized.
Written by: Mofeoluwa Oluwatubo
