Why I Love PR!

Recently I had a project that needed publicity and being the only PR person on my team in Jamaica I had my work cut out for me so I was in full execution mode...lots of pressure, things going wrong and needed to be fixed although it was all planned out from before and it reminded me why I Loved PR. Also, from time to time people ask me what I do because they see me doing so many different things; sometimes doing creative direction on a shoot, then at a manufacturing plant with gears from head to toe, at an event talking about or pushing a particular product or message, sometimes in the streets (during a pandemic) making donations to those in need. So to answer all that I crafted 5 questions (and a bonus 1) to share my take:

What’s the best part about working in PR?

GG: The best part of working in PR is the opportunity to be creative every day. I love the fact that I get to pitch my ideas to my boss/team and see them come to life through my work. Another nice part? Seeing it being replicated/mimicked or even continued after you have moved on.

What’s been the most challenging thing?

GG: Always being on and being creative 24/7. I know I just mentioned that I love PR because it’s a creative field to work in, but it also requires you to ALWAYS be creative. There’s hardly a time when can just switch off. So essentially it’s a gift and a curse.

What does it take to thrive in a PR career?

GG: The ability to not take anything personally. You also need to be tenacious and have a strong passion for what you do. It’s also for people who value and maintain relationships. If you don’t have this type of energy or positive attitude, it can be a bit difficult to thrive.

Are there any misconceptions or myths about working in PR?

GG: I think the biggest myth about working in PR is that it’s all fun and pose pose picture picture. There’s a lot that goes into the beforehand media exposure and even more after. There are lots of sleepless nights after everyone has gone to bed after that event. Many always say it’s impossible to have work/life balance in PR. But, depending on your interests/ personality and the type of work environment you thrive in, PR can actually offer a lot of opportunities for work/life balance. It took me years to find that balance but I think I've finally done it but truth is sometimes that means saying NO (but that's another story/post.)

What experience did you have with PR before you decided to pursue a career in PR?

GG: I first fell in love with PR without when I was apart of the Jamaica Observer's TEENage writers club. I got immersed into it after building relationships with older journalists and expressed interest in what they did and how they did it.

Bonus Question: What do you do exactly?

GG: The real answer is that I'm in Corporate Communications as a Public Relations executive. However, because of my 2 skills of being creative and being able to forge great relationships I am often involved in all people related aspects of any job. Our people (internal and external) are the core of any and everything that we do so there is always a need to engage/communicate with them and I seemingly do that quite well so sometimes it gets a little hard to separate my job function with what people actually see me doing. As I shared above though...it's tiring!