Passion Fuels the PR Profession

One thing is for sure: if you are not passionate about public relations and the communications space, you are unlikely to thrive in the field. Many PR professionals characterize their careers as thrilling or exciting because they are so passionate about their work. Their passion fuels them with motivation and inspires them on a daily basis.

Public relations is not a career to be sought after because it’s the “easier choice.”  It is a career that is just as pertinent as any other. I know I have an intense passion for public relations because, over my years of study, I have loved everything I have studied about it. I love listening to people talk about PR and I absolutely love that it charges you to always think outside the box.

I am nearing the end of my PR certificate program, and wow, what a journey it has been. Beginning with my first module – Fundamentals of Public Relations, and now with my PR in Practice: Real Life Perspectives and Opportunities module, it has been enjoyable at every turn. I recall always being eager after every lesson to share with my family the cases covered in class and the real-world examples we discussed. These experiences truly encouraged me to anticipate stepping out into the industry and starting to make my own contributions. That’s passion!

Passion is a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement toward something or the act of doing something. It is an intense feeling—not a lukewarm one. It’s an action-oriented feeling, and you just cannot hold yourself back from taking actions that yield significant results.

When I go to my classes, when I attend events like CPRS’ Passport to PR, and when I have coffee chats with industry professionals to learn about their experiences and get their advice, I get this exact feeling (a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement towards something or the act of doing something.) This is how I feel when I read LinkedIn posts by seasoned leaders in the PR industry and my personal favourite — when I get asked by others: “So what at all is it that you do in PR?” (Get ready for hours of lectures about the real-life superheroes PR practitioners are!)

Passion is an essential driving force for excelling in public relations. It equals genuine love for the work you do, and that translates into dedication and expertise.

Let’s explore why passion plays a crucial role in PR.

It leads to curiosity.

Curiosity is a key aspect in fueling a PR professional’s desire for knowledge. This is birthed from their passion. The PR industry is evolving rapidly and for that reason, you just cannot not be in the know. Your potential to be creative is enhanced by your ongoing pursuit of knowledge. Given the fact that you have to constantly be producing a standout message for your clients (especially on the agency side), you must genuinely be interested in learning about new technologies, products and innovations. This allows you to dive deep in crafting distinctive messaging for your clientele. It would be impossible for you to be really innovative if there was no passion for the Public Relations job. Your insatiable curiosity drives you to keep abreast of media, news, and trends, and this elevates you to the status of subject matter expert in a variety of fields.

It drives strong communication skills.

PR professionals need to convey their messages clearly, whether through press releases, social media, or face-to-face interactions. Passionate communicators have a greater ability to inspire, motivate, and engage their audiences more effectively. This illustrates why passion is essential for success in the field.

Passion for PR equates to outstanding storytelling.

This point builds upon the previous one. PR practitioners are storytellers, and their job involves crafting compelling narratives for their clients. When working in the field, your ability to vividly paint a picture through the use of words is crucial. All this is only made possible if you have a passion for the discipline. Remember, innovative storytelling strategies increase engagement and passion, making it possible for you to consistently go above and beyond.

Passion for PR  results in attention to detail.

Every little detail matters in PR, and you simply cannot miss anything! Being detail-oriented shows how well prepared you are for your work, and passion for your work drives your interest in perfection. One point I definitely cannot fail to mention is that this leads to client trust. Clients trust you when they see your high-level focus on accuracy and precision.

It aids in enabling you to get through tough tasks.

PR isn’t always pretty stuff and often also involves a lot of analytical skills. Measuring PR effectiveness is challenging but essential, and what pushes you through tasks like these is your passion for the work that you do. Here is a hack: the easiest way to go about this is to approach analytics as a game where you sift for valuable insights. Spot larger trends and keep an eye on metrics such as media coverage. This can undoubtedly improve your handling of the analytics aspect of the job.

The various aspects of the PR profession are characterized by time investment. Building and maintaining relationships with clients, journalists, and stakeholders is necessary, and PR professionals invest time and effort in nurturing these connections. Additionally, due to the changing industry landscape, ongoing professional development is needed to stay relevant, which also requires time investment.

Your passion for everything related to a PR career will make you dedicated—the amount of time you have to put into the career will not matter to you.