Career Exploration Katelyn Lauer Communications 110
Area of Communication ď‚›I
chose to study the communication field of public relations. This would fall under the field of public communication because it has to do with communicating with the mass public. ď‚› For this project, I interviewed Ms. Josette Myers, Vice President of Marketing and Community Relations at Memorial Hospital.
Position Description A
PR officer manages a company’s or non-profit organization’s public image. This may include speaking with the media, commissioning research, maintaining the organization’s website, printed material, or other media, and fostering community relations (“Public Relations Officer”).
Required Education and Experiences Typically,
a Bachelor’s degree is needed for a job in Public Relations, though some organizations might also like that an employee has a Masters. Work-related experience is almost always required (“Public Relations”).
Required Skills ď‚› According
to Ms. Myers, excellent oral and written communication skills are a requirement for a position in the field of communication, as are interpersonal and listening skills, strategic thinking, and high ethics.
Interview ď‚› In
the interview Ms. Myers was kind enough to sit down with me for, she told me that her favorite thing about her job was the diversity in it, but the biggest challenges are time and limited resources. In her job, she says she dabbles in marketing, customer service, community health, strategic planning, and volunteer management.
Interview Continued ď‚› She
also said a Bachelor’s degree was enough to get her foot in the door, but she later went back and got a Masters in Journalism, Marketing, and Public Relations. She also gave a lit of required skills, including high ethics, listening, writing, and speaking skills.
Summary ď‚› Overall,
I think that a job in the public communications realm would involve not a small amount of stress and risk. However, I also believe that it can come with a high reward, and not only is this a career I am interested in, it is one that I think I can accomplish.
References Myers,
Josette. Personal Interview. 5 Mar.
2013. “Public Relations." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. "Public Relations Officer: Job Description." Prospects. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.