The PR Personality

Are you considering a career in public relations? Find out more about what's involved and see if you’re a good fit for a future in the industry.

1. Are you a strong writer?
You will be expected to produce engaging articles, newsletters, annual reports, speeches, and media releases for your organisation or clients. An excellent grasp of grammar and attention to detail are crucial.

2. Are you interested in current affairs?
You will need to be aware of the key topics and issues affecting the area you work in. PR practitioners must be news aware and stay abreast of current trends and issues in their sectors and the wider economy. Keeping up to date with the world around you is essential when advising clients or brainstorming campaign ideas.

3. Are you a good communicator?
You must be confident talking to a range of audiences – your role may include presenting to clients, dealing with journalists or influencers, and meeting groups important to your organisation or client.

4. Do you cope well under pressure?
A PR role is incredibly varied and deadline driven so you must be able to organise your workload or reorganise your workload if there is a change in priority. Working in public relations is fun but it can be challenging. If you are looking for a nine-to-five job then PR is probably not for you – your position could sometimes involve early starts, late finishes or occasionally working at the weekend.

5. Do you have a creative streak?
The ability to think creatively is essential to success in PR. This applies to writing and to coming up with fresh new ideas and imaginative concepts for promoting an organisation or an idea to the public and the media.

6. Do you use social media?
Digital and social media are now a fundamental part of the PR mix and there are likely to be plenty of opportunities to make the most of your social media skills.

7. Do you enjoy engaging with different groups of people and understanding what makes them tick?
If you are interested in understanding what motivates and inspires people to behave in a certain way or you are interested in changing society for the better, public relations could be a career step worth taking. The fundamentals of understanding people and their perceptions and is a critical element of all PR programmes and campaigns. 


Professional standards/ethics/moral compass
CIPR PR professionals are expected to follow the CIPR Code of Conduct that expects they maintain the highest standards of ethical and personal conduct, professional endeavor, integrity, and confidentiality when dealing with clients, employers, businesses, and the public.
View our Ethics Training in PR page 


If you answered mostly ‘yes’, then you and public relations could be a perfect match. You have the skills, interests and personality traits you need to forge a successful career in the industry. Read the CIPR career case studies to learn about industry specialisms and find the career path that best suits your background and interests. Once you’re sure public relations is your career of choice read expert tips for guidance on making your first move into the profession.