No two days are alike for a PR account executive. That's because the
clients and the projects are always changing. This variety can be exhilarating,
but it can also make work hectic and stressful.
"This can be a job with great highs following hard on the heels of the
really low," says Meir Kahtan, a PR account executive in New York.
"On one day, Newsweek calls up following a press release you sent them
and wants to cover your client's product," says Kahtan. "A New York Times
reporter calls up and wants to interview another one of your clients. Pretty
soon, you're floating." This is an extremely good day.
But not all days are like this one. Sometimes you'll get a mental
block writing a press release, says Kahtan. "Two reporters will be on different
lines, both demanding information. Then a client will call, wanting his project
finished early." That's a bad day.
"Sometimes it does pull you apart quite a bit, and you lose your inner
sense of calm and well-being," says Kahtan. But it's this variety that
PR account executives find exciting.
"Being about to work with several clients and on many projects keeps the
job interesting and fun," says Cindy Monticue.
"It's definitely a field where I can exercise my creativity," she
adds. One day Monticue will be writing a press release for a wedding at McDonald's
restaurant. The next she will be taking respected writers from the New York
Times and the Washington Post on a media tour.
"The most exciting part of my job is knowing that I'll never stop
learning new things," says Lorraine Friedman, a marketing and public relations
director in New Jersey.
PR account executives enjoy learning, but the ultimate success is in completing
a project. "It's a thrill to see your work in print and distributed to
the public," says Rachel Ballantyne, a PR account executive.
Of course, once a project is completed, it's time to convince a new
customer to use a PR agency. In one instance, Ballantyne worked all weekend
to finish a project for a surprised potential customer. "We won the job and
with it, national exposure and great fees for our agency," she says.
PR account executives always try to persuade journalists to use the press
release they've written. "The idea of being able to persuade a writer
to cover my client or the company's products pumps me up," says Monticue.
Journalists are more likely to take an interest if the press release is
well written. Monticue finds writing to be one of the most satisfying parts
of her job. "I always loved writing when I was growing up and was sure I would
write for a living somehow, some way," she says.
Monticue has a degree in journalism and has worked at a daily newspaper.
She also interned at two public relations companies. "I had super experiences
[at the PR firms] that convinced me PR was the road I should take."
The road doesn't always offer a smooth ride. "You start with an idea,"
says Kahtan, describing the first stage in developing a project. "It can only
become something if you push it all the way and in every direction."
But even the greatest idea won't get off the ground unless a reporter
can be convinced to read a press release about the product. Part of the PR
account executive's skill lies in knowing which reporters might be interested
in writing about specific products.
To know this, it helps to read as many publications as they can.
"There's a whole Bible's worth," says Kahtan. "Unfortunately,
you're always going to miss something because you were in one place while
something else was happening somewhere else."
An open mind also helps in this career. Although it's impossible to
achieve all the time, PR account executives must learn not to make assumptions
about what other people may be thinking.
Clients often have their own ideas about how they want a product or service
to be promoted. These ideas sometimes conflict with the PR account executive's
ideas or those of other clients in the same company. A PR account executive
has to sift through all these ideas and find the best solution.
"I've become a more patient and understanding person as a result of
working with so many professionals who all bring their own unique perspective
to a situation," says Ballantyne. Needless to say, good people skills also
come into play, especially when clients must be told their ideas are no good.
One challenge in public relations isn't in the work itself; it's
in dealing with people's misconceptions about the field of PR. The problem
is, many clients underestimate or don't value public relations.
"Consequently, you're constantly explaining your motives," says Monticue.
But public relations is starting to gain more respect. "Employers are waking
up to the value of PR," says Ballantyne.
They are beginning to realize that PR account executives truly want to
promote a company and its product. They're also starting to see that
a PR campaign, properly conducted, can make the difference between the success
or failure of their product.
"To see my client in print or on TV as a result of a press release I wrote,
or as the result of a conversation I've had -- that makes my day," says
Monticue.