This survey was also distributed on my liked-in page.
RESULTS FROM SURVEY--
I surveyed 6 professionals in my field of expertise and found out the basic challenges of public relations as well as qualities a public relation agent should obtain and their importance. I had results ranging from people currently in PR to students majoring in PR, and retired consultants. They provided me with insight to further my knowledge of the job, and shared some of their experiences that they learned from.
I surveyed 6 professionals in my field of expertise and found out the basic challenges of public relations as well as qualities a public relation agent should obtain and their importance. I had results ranging from people currently in PR to students majoring in PR, and retired consultants. They provided me with insight to further my knowledge of the job, and shared some of their experiences that they learned from.
The first two questions on the survey were basic demographic questions. They let me know if the person taking the survey was currently in PR and their position. The third and fourth question were quantitative. The person taking the survey was to rate their opinion of how important being a team player is, and how important good communication is in PR. The results are as followed:
The results showed that 3 out of 5 people view being a team player very important and the other 3 view it as important but not most important.
The results from question 4 on the survey showed that 6 out of 6 people view good communication as very important in PR.
Question 5 on the survey asked about the most important aspects of PR. The majority of people who are in or were in PR said that being prepared and being able to have patients with clients is key. A student studying PR said that basic concepts of human communication is important while working in PR. Question 6 referred to the position that taught them the most and was most valuable to them, the majority of them said their internship taught them the most. They said it was eye opening and taught them the in's and out's of being a good PR consultant. One retired PR consultant said their position of being in charge of other PR agents and overseeing everything taught them the most. Specifically taught them how to be a good leader and how to effectively motivate a team of people. The last question on the survey asked people what the hardest part of maintaining a career in PR was. The most common response was being prepared and having patients, to take the time to be fully prepared and starting from the bottom. A student replied having the skills to turn a negative situation into a positive image for the client.
From this survey I conducted my knowledge of PR has grown. I realized working in PR you will of course have to work with clients who may be a handful, but a lot of participants emphasized how important it is to have patience with them and maintain your professionalism. I was surprised when I found out many said their internship taught them the most about PR. I would have thought it was their first real position in PR firm.