Public relations director
Public relations (PR) directors manage communication campaigns and strategy for their organisation or clients.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a public relations director, you could:
- plan and deliver communication campaigns for clients
- raise awareness of your organisation and its aims
- manage relationships with clients and agencies
- report to the organisation’s board or owner
- represent the organisation at conferences and events
- keep up to date with media stories and trends
Working environment
You could work in an office or at a client's business.
You may need to wear smart business clothes.
Career path and progression
You could move on to a bigger public relations (PR) agency or become the chief executive or head of an organisation.
You could also work as a PR consultant, helping clients with their communications strategy and policy.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- knowledge of media production and communication
- customer service skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- knowledge of English language
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- persistence and determination
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be flexible and open to change
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- working towards this role
- applying directly
You can get into public relations with any degree. However, there are some specialist degrees and postgraduate qualifications recognised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations you could take, including:
- Public Relations
- Marketing Communications with PR
- Public Relations and Corporate Communications
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
More Information
You could join a public relations firm as a manager and with experience, work your way up to become a company director.
You could apply to become a public relations (PR) director if you've got several years of experience at senior management level in PR, marketing or communications.
You can find out more about careers in public relations from the Public Relations and Communications Association and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
Related videos
Suggested videos
Coffee With is in early release mode with a limited number of videos. New videos are being added every week, so please check back for updates.
External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.