We surveyed 5,938 public relations specialists to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical public relations specialist. Here are the results.

How much intelligence is required as a public relations specialist?

Low

High

Working as a public relations specialist typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.

Can I learn to become a public relations specialist?

Intrinsic Talent

Acquired Talent

A career as a public relations specialist typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.

Is it easy to get a job as a public relations specialist?

Easy

Hard

It’s typically difficult to find a job as a public relations specialist. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for public relations specialists.

Info

Do public relations specialists work full-time or part-time?

74% of public relations specialists work in full-time roles while 26% work part-time.

Is being a public relations specialist stressful?

Low

High

Stress is very commonplace for public relations specialists, contributing negatively towards career satisfaction.

Is being organized important as a public relations specialist?

Low

High

Organization is considered a very important trait for public relations specialists, and is critical to success in the field.

How competitive is the workplace for public relations specialists?

Low

High

Public relations specialists tend to see lots of competition in the workplace, with desire to get ahead of co-workers being common.

Does being a public relations specialist require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?

Low

High

Public relations specialists will see frequent time pressure on the job, likely contributing to an occasionally stressful work environment.

Are public relations specialists allowed to express themselves creatively?

Low

High

Creativity is intrinsic to being a public relations specialist, and a highly valuable part of the career.

Do public relations specialists have control over the direction of their work?

Low

High

Public relations specialists tend to have a set and inflexible work schedule that they are unable to deviate from too much.

Is being a public relations specialist physically demanding?

Low

High

Work as a public relations specialists is not the most physically demanding of careers, falling in the bottom half of all careers.

Are public relations specialists exposed to a wide variety of work?

Low

High

The workload of a public relations specialist changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.

Does being a public relations specialist require attention to detail?

Low

High

As in many careers, attention to detail is quite helpful for public relations specialists.

Does being a good public relations specialist require compassion and empathy?

Low

High

The ability to be compassion and empathetic isn't considered fundamental to success as a public relations specialist.