How to know if public relations is the best career path for you

When you’re first starting in your career, it’s always tricky to pinpoint where your skills best fit and where they can thrive. More specifically, as a professional first starting in the public relations industry, it may take a while to figure out whether this is the industry for you. Below, we at The TASC Group have compiled the top five indicators to help you decipher if PR is the right fit for you and your talents.

1. You like a little bit of everything This may sound vague but hear us out. With PR, you can make your way into any industry. Whether it’s social good, entertainment or politics, everything needs PR. You can learn the ins and outs of any industry without directly being labeled a philanthropist, entertainer or politician. There are many moving parts when it comes to PR, which is why many PR professionals find it challenging to describe exactly what we do. We do everything.

2. You love writing; however, you don't necessarily want to be a writer One thing you can guarantee about PR is that being a good storyteller will be a central part of your job, whether that’s pitching your clients to journalists or training clients how to engage with the media. Being a good storyteller is only half the battle in PR; you must be a great writer, which includes being adept at grammar, mastering nuances in language and knowing how to use the right words to get your message across. It's the slight differences that genuinely set you apart in this industry.

3. Networking comes second nature to you Networking is often something that most people dread. However, if you shine while you’re connecting with people, you are headed in the right direction. Connecting is one word you will hear at least once a day when you are a part of this industry, and it is integral to succeeding.

4. You enjoy working behind the scenes Successful PR means your client shines without drawing attention to the mechanism that’s making it happen. This means you will be doing a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes to elevate your clients' stories. It's not all glitz and glamour. PR includes being deeply involved in the ways you present your clients by doing heavy research and keeping ahead of the latest news. We’re not in the spotlight but we’re making all the pieces fit together to paint that great picture on the outside.

5. You are so adaptable you might as well be a chameleon One of the most complex parts of being successful in PR is knowing when to adapt. The best of us often gets stuck in our ways in this industry because we learn so much at the beginning of our careers that we forget how much things have changed from the first time we got a grasp on PR. If PR is truly the right industry for you, just know that being able to change along with the industry can get you far.

Although it's often unnerving to decide on something as significant as your career, the great thing with PR is that it’s ever-changing, provides you the opportunity to become an expert across sectors and is always engaging.