PR's just handing out sandwiches, right?

I have now finished a CIPR-accredited online diploma course, and I can honestly say that was the most interesting and informative nine months of my career! Having leapt from journalism to PR, taking many of those communication skills I had already developed with me, I felt I needed to build more stable foundations in PR; and I was right.

I went in to the course sharing the view of many - that PR is merely media relations, a career in handing out sandwiches at press events. That couldn't be more wrong. PR is being aware of every single stakeholder in your organisation - the management, the clients/customers, the suppliers, the employees and, yes, the press. It's knowing them, knowing their needs and expectations, and balancing all those (often varying) needs to satisfy both them and the organisation. It's being a researcher, a diplomat, a communicator, an administrator, an economist, an academic... and a party host! 

I'm ashamed of what I once thought PR was, and I am so glad I put the (surprisingly hard) work into finding out it's so much more. I'm grateful to the CIPR for their professional support and also to the PR Academy, who hosted my course and provided my tutors. I'm still waiting for the final result, but I already know I have learned so much that can be applied now to my exciting career in PR.