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Profession "PR specialist". Public Relations Manager PR Management Training

PR manager or PR manager(from the English public relations - public relations) is a specialist responsible for creating and maintaining a favorable image of a company or a specific brand owned by this company. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in psychology, Russian language and literature, and social studies (see choosing a profession based on interest in school subjects).

Responsibilities of a PR manager

The so-called “PR specialist” is responsible for interactions with the external environment; he evaluates, analyzes and predicts factors affecting the company’s image and its development. This is what distinguishes him from an advertising manager who promotes only a separate service or product.

A PR manager ensures mutual understanding and cooperation between the organization and clients, journalists, authorities at all levels, and the population. This complex process includes several important responsibilities: 1) preparing press releases about the company and transmitting them to the media; 2) responses to media inquiries about the company’s activities; 3) organizing press conferences for interviews with company management; 4) interaction with government agencies and the local population; 5) interaction with financial circles (for example, with investors). Separately, it is worth highlighting the organization and implementation of various PR campaigns.

Place of work

Every large company has at least the position of PR manager. In large banks, corporations, and companies, PR managers work in special departments or public relations departments.

There are also special PR agencies that have a wide range of clients - from trading companies to famous artists. There are two groups of specialists working here. The first group includes copywriters (creators) who figure out how to hold one or more events. The second group consists of technologists. The latter put the developed concepts into practice, that is, they directly conduct presentations, press conferences, exhibitions, etc.

PR managers also work in politics. With their assistance, politicians win (or do not win) the trust of citizens.

Russian Institute of Vocational Education "IPO" - recruits students to obtain a specialty through a distance program of professional retraining and advanced training. Studying at the IPO is a convenient and quick way to receive distance education. 200+ training courses. 8000+ graduates from 200 cities. Short deadlines for completing documents and external training, interest-free installments from the institute and individual discounts. Contact us!

The only one in Russia based on a professional standard. The course was prepared by the Russian Association of Public Relations (RASO), the oldest and largest association of PR specialists in Russia, existing since 1991. Upon completion of the course, students receive a certificate of completion of the "PR Manager" course based on the professional standard of a public relations specialist

Requirements for a PR manager

knowledge of the basics and principles of PR management and advertising;
be able to understand the basics of marketing, management, economics;
ability to work with business correspondence;
ability to draw up PR strategies and knowledge of the principles of PR campaigns;
media planning skills;
ability to write articles, reviews, press releases, advertising materials;
experience in organizing exhibitions, various specialized seminars, press conferences;
proficiency in modern software, such as MS Office; ability to use the Internet and graphics programs;
Fluent or conversational knowledge of English is desirable.

Personal qualities

communication skills, activity, ability to work;
knowledge of the rules of etiquette, the ability to find a common language and ways of proper communication with media representatives;
a presentable external person is required, since the PR manager is the official representative of the organization;
the ability to approach things creatively and find a way out of a rapidly changing situation;
stress resistance;
the ability to clearly express one's thoughts.

Pros of the profession

a sought-after and fashionable profession;
high profit payment;
opportunity to communicate with the media and journalists.

Cons of the profession

Great competition in the labor market.

Place of work and career growth

Novice PR managers (students or graduates of specialized faculties) will need knowledge of the basics of PR management, a desire to work and communication skills. Salaries will be low at first. As a place of work, a young specialist can choose PR and advertising agencies, publishing houses, media companies, public relations departments in various companies or departments related to advertising.

The next stage of a young specialist’s career will begin after approximately two years of work in the chosen field. The requirements for such employees are already higher, for example, the ability to write articles, press releases, compose advertising and information materials, and knowledge of the principles of planning PR strategies. Usually at this stage the specialist already has experience in participating and organizing various exhibitions, seminars or press conferences. The salary of a PR manager at this stage can already be one and a half times more.

A PR manager gets a higher salary after about three years of work in the field of PR management. Such an employee already has his own experience, has formed a database of contacts with media workers, and has experience in developing PR strategies.

However, if a PR specialist can become a so-called “star” in his field, people will compete for his work, and the fees will accordingly be very high.

In most cases, girls become PR managers; there are no more than 30% of men in this field. The age category of specialists does not exceed 30 years (about 75%).

For a PR manager, the most obvious example of his professional success is his portfolio (information on completed projects). PR activities are quite easily verifiable and tangible. Employers, using special mechanisms, can evaluate the past work of a PR specialist: whether he brought a new brand to the market, whether he was able to increase its awareness and increase sales, and also change the opinion of direct consumers about the product or services.

Today we invite you to get acquainted with the features of the PR manager profession, including where you can get the appropriate education and what personal qualities you need to have to become a good specialist.

In an ever-increasing competition, every company strives to create/maintain its reputation and good image. Naturally, this is primarily facilitated by the production of high-quality products or the provision of services at the highest level. Only today, unfortunately, the conscientious fulfillment of their obligations to the client/buyer/customer, etc. sometimes there is not enough, and then there is a need to influence public opinion using additional means.

Regardless of whether it is a large company that needs to maintain its image, or a young company that needs “promotion,” business leaders prefer not to be limited by their own strengths/talents, and turn to specialists - - who will do everything so that only a positive image of a particular company.

Who is a PR manager?

PR is an abbreviation for "Public Relations", which translates as "public relations". In general, PR refers to a whole technology for creating, introducing and consolidating the image of a certain object. If we talk about PR in business, then these technologies work to create and maintain a favorable image of the company.

Thus, it can be understood that a PR manager is a specialist who works to create a positive public reputation for the company, develop a favorable image of the company and convey it through interaction with clients, partners, authorities and the media. Sometimes such specialists are called " PR people" or "PR-men".

The concept of "Public Relations", as well as the accompanying profession, came to us from the USA. The first public relations office was created at Harvard University in 1900. A few years later, other large educational institutions, as well as some commercial enterprises, took up the initiative. By the early 60s, the position of “PR manager” was in almost every company. Modern PR specialists are in demand not only in large organizations, but also in politics, show business, the Internet and media projects.

In our country, a few years ago, the tasks of such a specialist mainly included working with press releases. But with the development of business technologies, everything quickly changed, and today PR specialists are working hard to shape the image of companies. Moreover, they use PR technologies not only in the external environment, but also within the organization, working with its employees.

Job responsibilities PR manager most often depend on the industry in which the company operates, but standard functions include the following:

creating and maintaining the image of the organization, its products, services and representatives;
development and implementation of PR strategy;
assessment of means and opportunities for promoting the company;
forecasting the effectiveness of planned activities;
tracking the company's reputation;
monitoring of the competitive environment;
working with social media;
organizing briefings, interviews, press conferences;
communication with journalists;
speaking at various events;
preparing press releases, writing articles, news, interviews and messages on behalf of the company;
interaction with the population, authorities and investors.

Also on the shoulders PR men Often there are responsibilities for maintaining a certain climate in the team so that everyone is united by a common idea. This could be organizing special trainings, holidays or events of various types, maintaining a website or publishing a corporate newspaper. Although in many foreign companies these duties are performed by an HR specialist.

What personal qualities should a PR manager have?

When choosing a specialist who can be trusted with the image of their company, employers, first of all, pay attention to candidates with the following knowledge and skills:

knowledge of the basics of marketing, branding and advertising;
knowledge in the field of psychology and sociology;
understanding the specifics of the company’s activities;
negotiation skills;
methods of working with the media;
ability to work with business correspondence;
knowledge of foreign languages;
copywriting skills;
Correct oral and written language;
mastery of modern software.

At the same time, PR specialists with already established connections in the media, government agencies and the business environment enjoy a special advantage.

Of the personal qualities that highly qualified people should have PR specialists, you can note:

creative thinking;
multitasking;
knowledge of etiquette rules;
charisma;
presentable appearance;
stress resistance;
the ability to clearly express one’s thoughts;
diplomacy;
ability to gain/maintain trusting relationships;
communication skills;
the ability to make an impression;
the ability to quickly make the right decisions and act according to circumstances;
the ability to “read” people and choose the appropriate behavior model.

Advantages of the PR manager profession

This profession seems to be specially created for open, active and enterprising people who “die” doing routine work and are constantly “gushing” with new ideas. Thanks to work in the field of PR, something new will constantly appear in their lives: acquaintances, clients, interesting tasks, etc.

The profession of a PR manager not only allows you to fully realize your creative potential and creativity, but also gives you the opportunity to look into the future with confidence.

Firstly, everything suggests that the need for good PR managers will constantly grow (which is why PR specialties are classified as professions of the future).

Secondly, even young specialists can count on quite a decent salary (the average salary of a PR specialist in Russia is 40,000 rubles per month), and experienced PR people, widely known in certain circles, receive a quite decent fee - from 120,000 to 600,000 rubles .

Disadvantages of the PR manager profession

Working in PR is, first of all, communicating with people. With a variety of people with whom you need to find a common language, regardless of their political views, social level or life principles. Therefore, PR specialists very often experience strong psycho-emotional stress, which can lead to nervous exhaustion.

And if you consider that a great responsibility rests on the shoulders of a PR specialist (after all, reputation is a shaky thing, and a single mistake can undo the result that has been achieved for years), then you can understand that a public relations specialist is under constant psychological stress.

Another significant disadvantage of their profession is that many PR managers they call an irregular work schedule, which makes it very difficult to establish a personal life and fully relax.

Where can you get a job as a PR manager?

The Russian Institute of Vocational Education "IPO" is recruiting students to receive training at the IPO - a convenient and quick way to receive distance education. 200+ training courses. 8000+ graduates from 200 cities. Short deadlines for completing documents and external training, interest-free installments from the institute and individual discounts. Contact us!

Today you can become a PR manager in many Russian universities, where they offer training in the Advertising and Public Relations program, the best of which are:

National Research University "Higher School of Economics";
Moscow University of Humanities and Economics;
Moscow Polytechnic University;
Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov;
St. Petersburg State University;

You need to understand that a modern PR specialist must constantly improve himself! Therefore, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to regularly read specialized literature, study new PR technologies, exchange experiences in PR communities and improve their skills through special courses.

PR specialists are responsible for the image of the organization, interaction with partners, mass audiences, and media representatives. Creating a positive image of a company allows you to increase interest in its products and services, which means that PR specialists influence the commercial success of the company.

How to become a sought-after PR specialist? Where can you work and what salary do you receive? Our heroines will talk about this.

Olga Pavlikova, founder of PR agency TrendFox.ru

From journalists to PR people

I graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University and worked as a journalist in various publications for almost 10 years.

Having journalistic experience and even a diploma is one of the main requirements when hiring a PR specialist, because he must be able to not only organize events with the media, but also write a huge number of texts: press releases, announcements, columns for the general director. You also have to be responsible for the news section on the company’s website, publish blogs containing answers to questions from potential clients, and be active on social networks.

A good PR manager should be sociable, open-minded and broad-minded. The last point is especially important if PR agencies do not have a narrow specialization and their clients can be companies in a variety of industries: from GR to the FMCG sector.

Pros of the profession

Creative projects and communication with interesting people
Improving stress resistance and communication skills
Demand for the profession due to the high demand for PR services among companies
Opportunity for rapid career growth

In Russia, the word “PR” has a negative connotation. One of the stereotypes is that it is an unscrupulous profession. And it appeared mainly due to a misunderstanding of the principles of work of PR agents.

This work involves communicating with people of different levels of complexity. Sometimes you come across extraordinary clients, and you have to adapt.

Myth and reality

PR is not only about cool parties, interesting people and daily creative activities. Often the creative part of the work is replaced by the routine implementation of assigned tasks to achieve the goal.

PR is also the sale of services. If this niche is not close to you, then think seven times before starting your path to conquering PR peaks.

When using materials from the site, an indication of the author and an active link to the site are required!

Need a PR manager

Such a request can be found today not only on the Internet, but also on social networks more and more often. Both our clients and their partners are increasingly turning to us, the communications agency Comagency, with this question. This is logical, who, if not us, knows better than anyone what an ideal PR manager should look like. Yes, we know what qualities a good PR specialist should have, what his tasks should “look like” and what KPIs should be set for an objective assessment of his activities.

That is why our agency launched, which helps non-specialists, as well as company managers and business owners, not only correctly describe the functions that a PR specialist should perform in their organization, deciding what this position should be called, but also fill the resulting vacancy with maximum effect for business and budget. Let’s not lie, it is not always easy and quick to find a PR specialist who 100% matches our wishes, but the effectiveness of matching the functionality, character and abilities of the found specialist to the position from a business point of view is amazing. Many owners and managers say that never before has the process of resolving this issue been so “painless” and understandable, and they finally understand what their “PR specialist”, “press secretary” or external and internal specialist does communications.

So, if you are looking for a good PR manager, you can read this material, or you can leave this process in the hands of specialists who know this process “from the inside.”

A good PR manager: who is he and how to recognize him?

PR manager- from English public relations specialist - a public relations specialist, that is, a specialist responsible for creating and maintaining a favorable reputation of a company, brand or goods and services. Popularly known as “ PR man”, a PR manager today in many Russian companies can be responsible for a more or less wide range of business areas: starting from very narrow areas - organizing exhibitions, preparing brochures and “maintaining” a corporate website, ending with interaction with the external and internal environment at various levels . This can be at the internal corporate level (when a PR specialist begins to play the role of an HR specialist in increasing loyalty to the employer, creating a certain image of the company for employees), or at the level of partnership relations, and even relations with government agencies and authorities (the so-called GR - government relations). Sometimes, the functions of a PR specialist are unreasonably confused with the functions of managers of other specialties - marketers (imposing market and sales studies), advertisers (advertising placement), designers (creation of banners, booklets, postcards, illustrations, presentations), event managers, personal assistants and even secretaries (!). Although a PR manager must have skills in each of the above-mentioned areas, or sufficient knowledge to correctly and accurately set the appropriate tasks, his main function is to assess, analyze and forecast factors affecting the company's image and its development. This is one of the main differences between a PR manager and an advertising specialist who promotes only a separate service or product. It is with the latter, according to our observations, that most Russian companies tend to confuse a PR specialist when hiring.

So, a good PR manager is responsible for the perception of the company by target audiences, its intangible value (reputation + intangible assets), and should not be a “jack of all trades.”

Otherwise, the PR manager will not play the important role assigned to him in business.

Since there are no businesses in the world that are similar in all respects, the functions of PR specialists are always different and depend on many factors, including the industry in which the company operates. Based on this, the classic functions that a PR specialist performs are not as important as those specific tasks that are most important specifically for a particular business and the issues facing management. In the end, sometimes it is boundless dedication and loyalty to the business or company management that help PR specialists achieve heights that no one expected from them.

Functions of a PR manager in a company

Formulation of goals and objectives for PR actions.

Assessment of resources and funds for the implementation of planned PR programs

Forecasting efficiency and final results for the company's reputation

Form and maintain an appropriate image of the organization, its policies, products, services and personnel activities.

Assess the company's reputation and communicate this information to management.

Advise management on communication problems, solutions and possible techniques.

Inform the public about policies, activities, products, services and personnel to achieve maximum knowledge and understanding.

Personal qualities required for a PR manager

communication skills, activity, ability to work;
originality of thinking, ability to find a way out of a difficult situation;
knowledge of the rules of etiquette, the ability to find a common language and ways of proper communication with media representatives;
a presentable external person is required, since the PR manager is the official representative of the organization;
organizational skills;
ability to speak and persuade;
stress resistance; working under limited time conditions;
the ability to clearly express one's thoughts.

Required professional knowledge and skills

knowledge of the basics and principles of PR management and advertising;
be able to understand the basics of marketing, management, economics;
ability to work with business correspondence;
ability to draw up PR strategies and knowledge of the principles of PR campaigns;
media planning skills;
ability to write articles, reviews, press releases, advertising materials;
experience in organizing exhibitions, various specialized seminars, press conferences;
proficiency in modern software, such as MS Office; ability to use the Internet and graphics programs;
Fluent or conversational knowledge of English is desirable.

Preferred education for a PR manager

Future PR managers may be graduates of the faculties of advertising and PR, journalism, and philology. But in general, this profession requires an interdisciplinary approach. The work of PR specialists is based on such special disciplines as sociology, psychology, and social psychology.

Employers value graduates from universities such as Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, RUDN, MGIMO, Russian State University for the Humanities. An international certificate and additional education through short-term courses in the field of PR are also welcome.

Statistics and evaluation

In most cases, girls become PR managers; there are no more than 30% of men in this field. The age category of specialists does not exceed 30 years (about 75%).

Irina Davydova

Reading time: 12 minutes

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The term “Public Relations” (like the profession itself) came to us from the USA. It was there that at the beginning of the 20th century, a department responsible for public relations was formed at Harvard. Afterwards, already in the 30-60s, the position of “PR manager” appeared in almost every company.

Today “Public Relations” is an independent direction in management.

The essence of the work and professional responsibilities of a PR manager

Who is a PR manager?

First of all - public relations specialist. Or an intermediary between the company itself and its future clients.

What does this specialist do and what are his professional responsibilities?

Informing the target audience about the company's activities, working with the media.
Maintaining the company's image and reputation.
Representation of the company at events of various sizes.
Development of a strategy for communication with the media, etc., corporate identity of the company, action plans related to the company’s image, etc.
Drawing up forecasts of the impact of certain planned actions directly on the company’s image, determining the budget for each PR campaign.
Organization of briefings, interviews, press conferences.
Preparation and placement of news, publications, press releases, etc., preparation of reporting documentation.
Direct interaction with centers for the study of societies/opinions and informing your management about all the results of surveys, questionnaires, etc.
Analysis of competitors' PR strategies.
Promoting your company's brand on the market.

The main qualities and skills of a PR manager - what should he know and be able to do?

First of all, to work effectively, every conscientious PR manager must know...

Key fundamentals of marketing and market economics, law and politics, advertising.
PR basics and key “tools” of work.
Ways to define and identify the target audience.
Methods of organizing/conducting, as well as principles of planning PR campaigns.
Methods of working with the media, as well as their structure/functions.
Basics of organizing briefings and press releases, all types of PR.
Fundamentals of sociology/psychology, management and administration, philology and ethics, business correspondence.
Fundamentals of computer technology, software for automation/processing of information, as well as for its protection.
Principles and basics of information that is a trade secret, including its protection and use.

Also, a good specialist must have...

Qualities of a leader.
Charismatic.
Relations in the media and business environment (as well as in government agencies).
Journalist talent and creative guts.
Knowledge (perfect) of 1-2 or more foreign languages, PC.
Sociability and “plasticity” in communication.
Talent - making the right impression.
Broad-minded, erudition, solid amount of knowledge of a humanitarian nature.
Ability to listen carefully, quickly analyze and synthesize new ideas.
Ability to work with any budget.

The traditional set of employer requirements for these specialists:

Higher education. Specialty: journalism, marketing, philology, Public Relations.
Successful experience in the field of PR (note - or marketing).
Oratorical skills.
Computer skills and foreign languages.
Literacy.

Man or woman? Who do managers want to see for this vacancy?

There are no such preferences here. The work is suitable for everyone, and the managers here do not make any special requirements (unless personal).

Training to be a PR manager - courses, necessary books and online resources

The profession of PR manager, which has long been common in our country, has become increasingly popular in recent years.

True, without a higher education there is no point in counting on a solid job. You will have to study, and, preferably, in a place where the educational program includes the basics of Public Relations, economics and at least basic journalism.

For example, in Moscow You can get a profession...

In universities:

Russian economic school. Tuition fee: free.
Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Tuition fee: from 330 thousand rubles/year.
All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economics/Development of Russia. Tuition fee: from 290 thousand rubles/year.
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Tuition fee: from 176 thousand rubles/year.
Moscow Theological Academy of the Russian Orthodox Church. Tuition fee: free.
Russian Customs Academy. Tuition cost: from 50 thousand rubles/year.

In colleges:

1st Moscow Educational Complex. Tuition cost: from 30 thousand rubles/year.
College of Architecture, Design and Reengineering. Tuition fee: free.
Vocational College Moskovia. Tuition fee: free.
College of Communications No. 54. Tuition fee: from 120 thousand rubles/year.

On course:

At the Stolichny Vocational Training Center. Tuition fee: from 8440 rub.
Moscow School of Photography and Multimedia A. Rodchenko. Tuition fee: from 3800 rub.
School of Business "Synergy". Tuition cost: from 10 thousand rubles.
Center for online education "Netology". Tuition fee: from 15,000 rub.
RSUH. Tuition fee: from 8 thousand rubles.

It is worth noting that employers are most loyal to specialists with diplomas from RUDN University, Russian State University for the Humanities, MGIMO and Moscow State University.

Also will not be superfluous international level certificates and certificates of additional training.