Public relations is a specialized discipline which requires the understanding of public affairs, corporate social responsibility, communication law and ethics and core business functions as well. Undergoing a post-secondary public relations degree program is the first steps towards a career in this field.

1. Posses Interest in growing yourself having Public
Relationship Officer? Join PR programs to be the
one confidently!
A career in public relationships may be the right choice for you, if you
love interacting with people and know how to influence people to build a
positive image. It’s about managing reputation, influencing other
person’s opinion and behaviour, understanding listener’s or viewer’s
psyche, and generating publicity.
Public relations professionals are effective communicators and know how
to handle toughest of the situations, conveying the right message at the
right time to the right audience. They are also responsible for liaising
with and answering queries from individuals, media or any authority.
Competencies for a PR Career
Interested in building a career in public relations? Read on to find what
you will need to begin your career in this field.
1. In order to work as a public relations associate or manager, you
will need to possess critical research and professional writing skills,
strategic communications and social and digital media
communication skills.
2. You will also need basic business skills, including accounting and
financial management, organizational behaviour, business law and
business research and analysis.
3. An in-depth understanding of ethics for a plural world,
communication law and ethics, public affairs, issues management
and crisis communications is also required.
4. You must also develop the skills to navigate the digital world and
create marketing and communication programs for multi-faceted
social media.
5. A deep understanding of the complex world we live in and global
citizenship, corporate social responsibility and the role of
communicators in bringing change in the organizations is also
required.

2. 6. You must also possess a strong command over language and a flair
for writing. In addition, you must be well-groomed and have a
pleasant personality.
7. The ability to maintain relationships with people is probably the
most important skill required for a PR job.
Along with possessing the above mentioned competencies, you should be
open to travel, ready to put extra hours at work and able to adapt to
anything.
Developing Competencies
PR is a specialized field; thus, you need to undergo specialized education
at least at post-secondary level to seek an entry to the world of work.
There are a number of public relations programs available throughout
Canada that may help you develop the knowledge, skills and attitude
required to work as a PR professional.
The post-secondary public relations courses typically run for four years
and provide you with solid foundation in business principles, public
affairs, and corporate communications, digital and social media
marketing and so on.
Although a large number of PR programs are available in the country but
you should be extremely careful in selecting a program. Not all programs
provide you with industry exposure, which is a mandatory requirement to
build careers in this field.
Centennial College’s bachelor of public relations program offers you a
unique blend of theory and practical. It uses a combination of learning
methodologies, such as in-class sessions, projects, group discussions,
industry visits, guest lectures and industry field placement. It’s a
comprehensive and rigorous program that offers excellent employment
prospects. You may easily find employment with public relations
agencies, digital marketing companies, investor relations departments,
hospitals and healthcare organizations.