Public Relations is Not a ‘Really’ Stressful Job

CareerCast.com, an online database of jobs in the US and Canada rank the top 10  most stressful jobs to the 10 least stressful jobs in America every year. In 2011, PR is ranked the second most stressful job, right after pilot. In 2013, PR went down the chart and is ranked the fifth most stressful job.

“Public relations executives are masters of damage control, thus need to be able to think and act quickly under stress,” CareerCast report states. “The profession lives in the public eye, and it’s also one of the professions attracting the most college students, which makes landing and keeping a good job that much more difficult.”

How is it measured?

There are 11 stress scale’s metrics that are used by CareerCast to rank the jobs, assigned to each area are as follows:

• Travel, amount of 0-10
• Growth Potential (income divided by 100)
• Deadlines 0-9
• Working in the public eye 0-5
• Competitiveness 0-15
• Physical demands (stoop, climb, etc.) 0-14
• Environmental conditions 0-13
• Hazards encountered 0-5
• Own life at risk 0-8
• Life of another at risk 0-10
• Meeting the public 0-8

PR professionals should always be in “stand by” mode because a crisis can occur anytime. They are the defenders of brand, image, or reputation. This is the core responsibility of PR professionals. They are the bridge that lies between the company and the public. In addition to what CareerCast report states, PR professionals are required to be creative, imaginative, decisive, and strategic.

So, is being a PR professional really “that” stressful? Based on my experience the anwer is no. The key is to love your job unconditionally. Like the saying goes, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Almost every job is stressful (at certain level). But it really depends on how we handle the stress. Your passion for the industry, positive thinking and attitude will definitely help you overcome the stress of the job. Once you are able to improve your skills and gain valuable experiences in the field, you can manage that stress level even better.

In Praxis, we are committed not only to perform our job, but also to enjoy it. It is less stressful this way. Therefore, it is effective to minimize the stress level. Let me divulge the secrets:

1. Get organized and manage your time

So many things to do, so little time. Yes, that’s why orginizing and prioritizing our tasks at the office are very important. This way, we can be more focused on the task at hand and use our time more efficiently.

2. Look at obstacles from another perspective

Consider obstacles as stepping stones to become better PR professionals. The more obstacles we face, the more we learn, the better PR professionals we become.

3. Work hard, play harder

Yes, our job is very demanding. We always give a 100% to complete our daily tasks, but we put a 110% to have fun outside of office hours.

4. Be social

Meet people, make new friends, maintain old friends, talk, laugh, share, etc. Communicating what’s going on in our lives to the people around us can be very beneficial. They might know a thing or two about what we are currently facing. So, it gives an added perspective to our situation.

5. Mens sana in corpore sano

Excercising regularly is very effective to lift our mood. It also increase stamina and endurance to face those sleepless nights in times of crisis.

6. Get enough sleep

Lack of sleep can reduce your ability to think in a better way. It’s important to improve the quality of your sleep by having 7 to 8 hours every night in a non-crisis mode, or 15 to 30 minutes in crisis mode.

As mentioned by CareerCast report, more and more people are trying to get into the PR industry, so, finally, enjoy your life as a PR professional while it lasts!