a co-orientational study of entry/junior level public relations/communications practitioners and...

A Co-orientational Study of Entry/Junior Level Public Relations/Communications Practitioners and

Intermediate/Senior Level Practitioners

Do They Have What It Takes?

The Requisite Competencies, Skills and Knowledge For Today’s 21st Century

Entry/Junior Level Public Relations Practitioners.

Prepared by:

Dr. Terry Flynn, APR, FCPRS

Principal Investigator

Drs. Philip Savage & Alex Sevigny, APR Co-Investigators

Dave Scholz, MA & Colleen Killingsworth, MCM, APR, FCPRS

Collaborators

McMaster University June 6, 2014

With Funding from The Communications + Public Relations Foundation

McMaster/CPRF Competencies, Skills & Knowledge Study. June 2014 © 2

Table of Contents Acknowledgements 3

Abstract 5

Summary of Research 6

Phase 1: Summary of Literature Review 11

Phase 2: Summary of Content Analysis of Job Postings 16

Phase 3: Depth Interviews with Senior Public Relations/ Communications Executives

27

Phase 4 – Online Survey of Public Relations/ Communications Professionals

35

Conclusions

56

Recommendations

58

References

68


Acknowledgement

Pioneering benchmark research is rarely easy and often fraught with theoretical

and practical challenges. In October 2012, I gathered a team of public relations scholars,

researchers and practitioners together to respond to the Communication + Public

Relations Foundation’s call for funded research proposals. With years of professional and

academic experience, the task of identifying possible research topics wasn’t the challenge

– identifying one that could make a significant contribution to the scholarship and

practice of public relations/communications in Canada was more difficult.

Having been involved in the development of the Canadian Public Relations

Society, ‘Pathways to the Profession’ curriculum framework and the initial discussions

on what would come to be known as the Public Relations Knowledge (PRK) exam, we

believed that there was value in examining whether the profession believed that the

students from Canadian public relations/communications post-secondary programs “had

what it takes” to be successful in the profession. At the same time, we believed, it would

be interesting to get recent graduates’ perspectives on the same question – thereby

creating a type of “co-orientational” analysis of the research problem.

We were delighted when we were informed by the Foundation that our proposal

had been positively peer-reviewed and chosen for full funding. The challenge then was

to frame the research problem, conduct a comprehensive literature review, complete the

analysis of the job advertisements, recruit 30 senior-level participants for in-depth

interviews and finally, launch an online survey to get broader insights from practitioners.

While our timeline for completion was delayed due to unforeseen personal challenges,

we are pleased to present this report to the Foundation and the profession. We believe


that this research has identified some interesting findings that should be considered by

both educators and practitioners.

On behalf of the research team, I would personally like to extend our thanks to

our graduate and undergraduate research assistants from McMaster University who

assisted us during this project: Taylor Moore, MA, Dustin Manley, MPC (c), Alyssa Lai,

BA (Hons), Holly Unruh, BA (Hons), and Julie Truong, BA (Hons). We would also like

to thank and acknowledge both Lisa Covens and Ashley Challinor from Leger: The

Research Intelligence Group, who provided valuable counsel and advice during the

development of our online survey and a quick turnaround on the data tables for our

analysis.

Finally, we extend our gratitude to the Board of the Communications + Public

Relations Foundation who supported this research through a very generous grant – the

first of its kind for the Foundation in supporting groundbreaking primary research on the

practice. Our thanks go out to Dr. Gordon McIvor (Chair), Dr. Chitra Reddin, (Research

Committee Chair) and Barbara Sheffield (Executive Director) for their support, guidance

and patience during this lengthy research study.

We hope that you find this report informative and beneficial. We look forward to

presenting our findings at upcoming professional and academic conferences.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of our research team,

Dr. Terence (Terry) Flynn, APR, FCPRS Principal Investigator


Summary of Research

The practice of public relations in Canada has been one of the most understudied

and researched academic disciplines within the communications studies programs across

the country. While there have been a handful of professional books written by

practitioners on the state of the field dating back to the mid 1950s (“The PR in Profit” by

Leonard Knott), there have been scant empirical research conducted and published on the

state of the Canadian practice. The last major study on the backgrounds and roles of

practitioners was published in 1990 by Piekos and Einsiedel. More recently academics

and professional associations have joined forces to survey practitioners on issues ranging

from accreditation, to education, to competencies and knowledge. The most

comprehensive study on executive perceptions of the competencies necessary to practice

public relations at a managerial level was conducted by former Canadian Public Relations

Society president, Colleen Killingsworth, in 2011, as part of her graduate studies

(research also supported by the CPRF). However her study has yet to be published

therefore have has had limited distribution and impact within the academy and the

practice.

The primary objective of our current study was to conduct benchmark research

among Canadian public relations practitioners to understand the overall knowledge, skills

and competencies, of entry and junior level practitioners. Our research team also

conducted a co-orientational analysis between those hiring public relations practitioners

(intermediate and senior level) and those relatively new to the profession (entry and

junior level), to understand the expected competencies, knowledge and skills and

furthermore to determine if there are any gaps in these important employment and


practice requirements. Furthermore we conducted a comprehensive literature review and

a content analysis of job postings (CPRS, IABC and LinkedIn) over the last three years to

assess the skills, competencies and requirements required for advertised positions in

Canada.

Theoretical significance and practical importance

Public relations roles research is relatively young with most of the seminal work

conducted in the 1980s by Broom (1982) and Dozier (1982). Along with the research

conducted by Grunig, Grunig and Dozier (1995) for the IABC funded Excellence Study,

the American-centric research concluded that there were two types of functions being

performed by public relations practitioners: technical and managerial. Over the last 10

years, scholars in Europe and Asia have replicated these studies and have validated this

two-role typology (Gregory, 2008). In Canada there has only been one published study

testing Broom and Dozier’s research, conducted by University of Calgary scholars Piekos

and Einsiedel in 1990.

In 2011, Killingsworth conducted a comprehensive study of executives’

perceptions of public relations managers’ competencies and skills. This yet to be

published study tested expectations of skills and competencies against the recently

established, Canadian Public Relations Society ‘Pathways to the Profession’ curriculum

framework. According to the study “the fundamental attributes and aptitudes defined in

the literature as being paramount to the success of a senior communicator within an

organization – leadership, ethics, and trust – are supported by this research”

(Killingsworth, 2011, p. 77).


Understanding who is practicing public relations in Canada and what their skills,

competencies and knowledge are is critical to building a practical and theoretical body of

knowledge. Furthermore, it will enable educational institutions, professional associations

and employers to continue to set a benchmark for educating and training new

practitioners in the field. At the same time, and due in parts to the lack of barriers to entry

into the field, establishing the requisite skills, competencies and knowledge should

differentiate those that have what it takes to succeed in the profession from those that

have limited capabilities.

According to senior government communicator and former Canadian Public

Relations Society president, Derrick Pieters, “while many major corporations have

elevated public relations practitioners to executive management, there is still little general

knowledge and acceptance of the role, responsibilities, skills and competencies required

to function at the various levels of the profession. In Canada, this is evidenced by the

varying, and sometimes surprising, job descriptions seen in recruiting advertisements for

PR/Communications positions” (2007, para. 3)

Research Methodology

This study used a co-orientational, mixed-methods (literature review, content

analysis, in-depth interviews, and an online survey) approach to understand the

perspectives of those hiring and those seeking employment within the profession.

Through this approach, gaps in expectations or requirements for entry/junior level

practitioners have been identified, as were the implications of these gaps on the practice.


Research Phases

Section I – Literature Review

While the seminal research public relations roles was conducted some 30 years

ago, there has been a growing global body of literature on competencies, skills

and knowledge. Our literature review provides an understanding of the current

empirical landscape and research findings within the field. Survey instruments

and depth interview guidelines used in this research project (Phases 3 and 4) were

developed from this literature.

Section 2 – Content Analysis of Job Postings

A quantitative content analysis of available job postings over the last three years

was conducted to determine the published competencies, skills, knowledge,

credentials and years of experience. The findings from this phase helped the

research team triangulate the findings from Phase 3 and 4.

Section 3 – Qualitative/Depth Interviews

One-one-one interviews were conducted with 30 senior public relations

professionals to understand the skills, competencies and knowledge that they

expect for new hires within their organizations. Participants provided insights on

the degree to which they believe that new practitioners have what it takes to make

it in the profession. Results from this phase of the research project provided

significant insights and data however the results cannot be generalized to all

senior level practitioners in Canada.


Section 4 – Quantitative/Survey Research

Upon completion of the first three phases of this study, a convenience sample

approach was taken to garner interest and involvement in a wide range of

participants within the field. Through collaboration and cooperation from

Canadian professional associations (CPRS and IABC) and associated professional

interest groups, a total of 206 public relations/communications management

professionals from across Canada completed the 15-question, online survey. Due

to the limited availability of membership databases and a complete registry of all

those practicing public relations in Canada, the data collection for this phase is

best characterized as non-representative of the entire population and cannot be

generalized to all those practicing public relations in Canada


Phase 1: Summary of Literature Review1

Public relations is a contested field of study and practice. From its early 20th

century history of publicity and promotion to its current and continuing association with

political spin, propaganda and persuasion, the profession continues to be challenged by

critics, scholars and journalists. However, public relations as a professional field of study

is continuing to grow stronger with new academic programs being developed and offered

at both the university and college levels. In Ontario alone over the last four years, three

new bachelor degree programs have been approved and a number of other programs are

currently under development (Flynn & Sevigny, 2013). This growing educational

emphasis has not however been mirrored by a similar growth or emphasis on scholarly

research. In fact, published research on the roles, practices and knowledge of those

practicing public relations in Canada is almost nonexistent. This lack of empirical and

theoretical consideration, from and within both the academia and professional

associations (Flynn & Sevigny, 2013), has opened the field of public relations to

ambiguous interpretations and loose definitions about what it takes (competencies, skills

and knowledge) to practice public relations in the current Canadian context.

Despite the varying definitions of ‘skill’, ‘competency’ and ‘knowledge’, there is

relatively widespread agreement about the notion that competencies are broader concepts

that can be comprised of skills, attitudes, knowledge, education and personal attributes

(Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Cernicova, Dragomir & Palea, 2011; Breakenridge, 2012;

Jeffery & Brunton 2010). Due to long-term shifts in the occupational structure, these

broad competencies are in greater demand by employers because of the decline in lower-

1 This is a summary of a more comprehensive literature review conducted by the research team and submitted to an academic journal for publication.


skilled, manual labour and the growth in knowledge work and service-based occupations

which is characteristic of the 21st century (Finegold & Notabartolo, 2010, p. 1). As a

result of these changes in the nature of work and business there have been changes in

what is expected from and sought after in employees. Many are referring to these desired

abilities as 21st century skills and competencies.

21st Century Competencies and Skills

There is a robust body of research that has sought to understand the necessary

competencies required to be successful in the 21st century. The processing and sense-

making of complex information and data as a result of the growth of Information,

Communication Technologies (ICT) has triggered an influx in information that is able to

be accessed and shared and as such requires news skills for assessing, evaluating, and

organizing information in digital environments (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009, p. 9).

According to researchers, it is not enough to just be able to process and organize the

flows of digital information; people must also be able to transform it to create new

knowledge (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009, p. 9). Dede (2009) echoed the importance of

information processing when he stated that a crucial 21st century skill is being able to

rapidly filter large amounts of incoming data and the ability to extract from this data

valuable information for decision making (p. 2). Finegold and Notabartolo’s (2010)

findings also evidenced that information processing is a key competency to understand

and employ digital information in multiple contexts- be it home, work or in the

community- to develop one’s knowledge and potential (p.13). Research, problem solving,

information literacy, and innovation are all skills that can be encompassed within the

competency of information and data processing (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009, p. 9).


From the extensive literature review conducted for this study, Table 1 outlines the

requisite competencies and skills required of 21st knowledge workers.

Table 1.1: Composite list of 21st century, global competencies and skills by research study

21st Century Competency/Skill Study

Information Processing Ananiadou & Claro, 2009 Dede (2009) Finegold & Notabartolo (2010)

Communication Skills Ananiadou & Claro (2009) USDL (2012) Finegold and Notabartolo (2010)

Collaboration/Teamwork Karoly (2004) Dede (2009) Finegold & Notabartolo (2010) Ananiadou & Claro (2009) USDL (2012) (Gittell (2001)

ICT (Information & Communication Technology) Competency

Ananiadou & Claro (2009) Bishop & Mane (2004)

Innovation Finegold & Notabartolo (2010)

Adaptability/Flexibility Finegold & Notabartolo (2010)

Problem Solving/Critical Thinking USDL (2012)

Public Relations Competencies and Skills

There are many predominating and consistent themes throughout the literature

about what competencies and skills are expected by hiring managers from public

relations practitioners. One overarching theme noted throughout the literature is that

employers are increasingly more concerned with general competences that are

transferable, as opposed to more specific skills or specialization (Cernicova, Dragomir &

Palea, 2011, p. 3). In a study performed by Watson and Sreedharan (2010), leading


European and international senior-level communicators were surveyed to determine the

knowledge, skills, and abilities that senior public relations professionals will need in five

years and what is required to prepare the next generation of leaders for success. The need

for public relations practitioners to possess a broader, cross-disciplinary set of skills and

knowledge was expressed by the study participants (p. 5). Communication skills, both

written and oral, were expressed in the literature as being competencies that are expected

from entry, middle and senior level public relations practitioners.

In a research study conducted by Cernicova, Dragomir and Palea (2011) in a

national effort to create a generally accepted template of skills and competencies as part

of the accreditation of university programs in Romania, ‘oral and written communication’

was ranked the highest in importance by survey participants out of 37 other competency

areas measured (p. 6). According to this study, 17 out of 20 respondents (85%) graded

‘oral and written communication’ at the maximum level of importance (either a four or a

five) on a five-point rating scale (p. 6). Using the SHL Universal Competency

Framework to determine a competency profile for employee success within a public

relations role, the results demonstrated that ‘written and verbal communication’ is among

the top ten competencies considered to be integral to the success of public relations

practitioners working in the private sector in the United Kingdom (Gregory, 2008, p.

219). In an email questionnaire that was distributed to 79 identified independent public

relations counselors, ‘writing competency’ was ranked as the third most important job

skill for the industry out of the potential 11 job skills that were listed (McCleneghan,

2007, p. 16). Though many new skills and competencies are emerging as being vital to

the success of communication practitioners, the more traditional communication


competencies of oral and written communication are still as important as ever (Hanson,

2012, para. 3; Wilcox, 2013, p. 28-29).

Table 1.2: Composite list of public relations competencies and skills by research study.

Public Relations Competency/Skill

Study

ICT (Information & Communication Technology) Competency

Cernicova, Dragomi & Palea (2011), Breakenridge (2012), Killingsworth (2011), Hanson (2012), Sha (2011), Wilcox (2013) Eyrich, Padman & Sweetser (2008) Watson & Sreedharan (2010), Brody (2004)

Cultural Competence

Fitch & Desai (2012), Deardorff (2006) Paige et al. (1999), Creedon & Al-Khaja (2005),Wilcox (2013), Watson & Sreedharan (2010), Clausen (2007), Killingsworth (2011), Nicholson (2003)

Communication Skills (Oral and Written)

Cernicova, Dragomir, & Palea (2011), Gregory (2008), Killingsworth (2011) McCleneghan (2007), Hanson (2012) Wilcox (2013)

Ethics

Gregory (2008), L’Etang (2003), Sha (2011) Jeffrey & Brunton (2010), CPRS (2009) Killingsworth (2011)

Strategic Planning/Strategizing

Cernicova, Dragomir, & Palea (2011), Killingsworth (2011), Jeffery & Brunton (2010), Watson & Sreedharan (2010)

Business Acumen

Gregory (2008), Watson & Sreedharan (2010), Sha (2011)

Analytic/Evaluation/Measurement Competency

Hanson (2012),Sha (2011), Killingsworth (2011), Jeffrey & Brunton (2010), Piekos & Einsiedel (1990), Watson (2010)

Leadership

Gregory (2008), Jeffrey & Brunton (2010) Killingsworth (2011)

Crisis Management Sha (2011), Cernicova, Dragomir, & Palea (2011)

Relationship Management/Building Competency

Breakenridge (2012), Watson (2010)


Phase 2: Summary of Content Analysis of Job Postings2

Using quantitative content analysis coding, 273 job postings were examined

in terms of employer expectations for competencies, skills, education levels,

credentials and other criteria. The results suggest employers are concerned with

traditional public relations and communication skills, such as writing and media

relations. While some job postings include requirements for some high levels of

strategy and leadership qualities (in particular in senior level postings), there is

generally a low-‐level of correspondence between postings and the ideal

competencies identified in the pedagogical literature and by the professional

associations. In particular expectations of levels of education and accreditation

remain low in Canadian public relations hiring, although there are some indications

this may be changing.

After a thorough review of the sources for job postings in various

publications and on-‐line sites, it was determined that on-‐line postings on the CPRS

member web site provided the most effective source for analysis. Accurate and

accessible cases were available going back just over three years. In addition the

IABC website had samples for non-‐repeating posts (there was considerable

overlap). A small sample of postings available on LinkedIn was also initially piloted

for analysis. The total sample population (all units available) totaled 652 postings.

After initial pre-‐testing, a total of 273 postings from the comprehensive 652

available postings were randomly selected for coding (including 35 postings from

2 This is a summary of a comprehensive content analysis conducted by the research team and submitted to an academic journal for review


the IABC site), through a standard random number generator used by the authors in

previous grant-‐funded research.

Findings

Table 2.1: Advertised Skills/Abilities Primary

Mention Secondary Mention

Total Mentions

1. Writing 18% 18% 36%

2. Strategy 8% 10% 18%

3. Leadership 10% 4% 14%

4. Media Relations 8% 5% 13%

5. Project Management 4% 8% 12%

6. Oral/Verbal Skills 5% 6% 11%

7. Internal/External Communication 5% 3% 8%

8. Interpersonal Communication 4% 4% 8%

9. Public Relations 4% 3% 7%

10. Relationship Building 3% 4% 7%

11. Team Player 3% 3% 6%

12. Social Media 2% 3% 5% Source: McMaster University/CPRF 2013 Content Analysis; n=273.

Table 2.1 shows those skills or abilities that were first mentioned as required

of candidates in the second column, and then in the third column the percentage of

postings that included those skills or abilities as a second mention. The third

column shows the total percentage of postings that mentioned either first or second

the characteristic. Just over a third of job postings analyzed (36%) made specific

reference either as a first or second mention to “Writing”. Just under a fifth (18%)

mentioned some aspect of “Strategy” skills or abilities.


There are four skills/abilities that cluster with just over a tenth of postings

mentioning them first or second: “Leadership” (14%), “Media Relations” (13%),

“Project Management” (12%), and “Oral/Verbal Skills” (11%). These top six

characteristics suggest that public relations job postings in Canada focus

predominantly in terms of traditional public relations skills – writing and oral

communication skills aligned with media and project expertise. The identification of

strategy and leadership in the midrange mentions is a signal that higher level of

competencies and knowledge may indeed also be recognized.

The next six skills/abilities mentioned in job postings are clearly less of a

priority for job postings, with no more that 10% mentioning them in their top two

criteria. But the pattern of mention reflects the mix of “hard” skills such as “Internal

or External Communications” (8%), “Public Relations” (7%) and “Social Media”

(5%), interspersed with “softer” competencies such as “Interpersonal

Communication” (8%), “Relationship Building” (7%) and “Team Player” abilities

(6%).

It is interesting that “Writing” as a primary skill so clearly dominates all other

mentions in the postings examined; almost one fifth (18%) of all postings, placing it

clearly as the top requirement. Meanwhile newer specific skill sets that students are

encouraged to master, namely Social Media, are mentioned as a top skill by only one

in fifty posts (2%).


Table 2.2: Primary Skill by Experience Level* Intermediate-‐Level Senior-‐Level All Postings

1. Writing 25% 14% 18%

2. Leadership 6% 15% 10%

3. Strategy 4% 11% 8%



Source: McMaster University/CPRF 2013 Content Analysis; n=273. *Junior-‐Level; excluded from analysis due to small sample size (n <10); x2 < 0.05 (statistically

significant).

We conducted a correlation analysis of Skills/Abilities first mentions by the

level of the candidate sought in postings (either Intermediate or Senior). Junior or

entry level postings were excluded due to small numbers within the sample.

Among those postings directed at Senior level public relations practitioners (as

measured by years of experience required – see below for definitions of “Senior”)

we find, in Table 2.2, a higher level of first mentions of the “Leadership” (15%) and

“Strategy” (11%) competencies. But among mid-‐level postings there are relatively

higher references to the more traditional public relations skills of “Writing” (25%),

“Media Relations” (12%) and “Internal and/or External Communications” (5%).

The correlation is significant statistically and suggests real differences in emphasis

on competencies for “senior” level positions; including those more in line with the

Competencies, Skills and Knowledge identified as priorities for higher-‐level training

and education in the academic literature.


Table 2.3: Posted Responsibilities

Primary Mention

Secondary Mention

Total Mentions

1. Communication Strategy

19% 9% 28%

2. Corporate Strategy 17% 7% 24%


4. Communication Planning 9% 5% 14%

5. Media Design 5% 6% 11%


7. Marketing 4% 6% 10%

8. Writing 3% 6% 9%

9. Stakeholder Relationships 3% 5% 8%

10. Event Mgt. 3% 2% 5%

11. Client Relationships 2% 3% 5%

12. Staff Management 2% 1% 3% Source: McMaster University/CPRF 2013 Content Analysis; n=273

The analysis of different types of responsibilities mentioned in job postings,

in Table 2.3, indicates once again a mix of traditional public relations roles, but with

a slight predominance of somewhat higher-‐level competencies.

In terms of the top six competencies sought, the first two are strategic roles:

“Communication Strategy” (at 28% of total first/second mentions), and “Corporate

Strategy” (24%). Within the next four posted responsibilities, three are less high

level (more traditional PR duties): “Internal/External Communication (19%),

“Media Design” (11%) and “Media Relations” (10%), while one of these could be a

more intermediate role: “Communication Planning” (14%).


Table 2.4: Primary Responsibility by Experience Level* Intermediate

Level Senior Level

All Postings

1. Communication Strategy

17% 25% 19%

2. Corporate Strategy

11% 21% 17%

3. Internal/External Communication

14% 7% 10%

4. Communication Planning 9% 10% 9%

5. Media Design 6% <1% 5%


significant).

Correlation analysis of Responsibility (primary mention) by Experience level

shows, in Table 2.4, significant increases in strategic responsibilities mentions for

Senior Level postings: “Communication Strategy” (25%) and “Corporate Strategy”

(21%). Alternatively among Intermediate Level postings, there is a significant

increase in primary mention of traditional skill-‐related responsibilities:

“Internal/External Communication” (14%) and Media Design (5%).


Table 2.5: Required Education Level Highest Degree or Certificate Required

Graduate Degree 4%

MBA 1%

Bachelors + Post-‐Grad College 3%

Bachelors 60%

College 16%

High School 1%

None Listed 15%

Source: McMaster University/CPRF 2013 Content Analysis; n=273

Table 2.5 shows that relatively few of the job postings (5%) made reference

to a requirement for a University Graduate Degree (including MA’s and MBA’s). The

standard educational minimum expectation appears to be a Bachelors degree

(60%), and only 3% of the positions make reference specifically to a Bachelors plus

a Post-‐Graduate College certificate or diploma. One in six posts referred to only a

college degree (16%), and only 1% of postings referred to high school requirement

alone. Fifteen per cent of postings did not list any educational requirement.


Table 2.6: Minimum Education Requirement by Experience Level*

Intermediate-‐Level Senior-‐Level

All Postings

Graduate Degree 2% 6% 4%

MBA 0% 3% 1%

Bachelors + PostGrad College

2% 4% 2%

Bachelors 63% 60% 60%

College 22% 4% 16%

High School 1% 1% 1%

None Listed 9% 23% 15%


significant).

In Table 2.6, correlation analysis of Education mentions shows again

significant difference between Intermediate-‐ and Senior-‐Level postings,

demonstrating a slight expectation of advanced educational training and

competency in the senior levels of the profession in Canada. Whereas only one in

fifty (2%) intermediate level postings require a graduate degree accreditation, this

rises to almost one in ten (9%) for senior positions. A college diploma is acceptable

as educational accreditation for over one in five intermediate level positions (22%)

but less than one in twenty (4%) of senior level postings. Interestingly, almost a

quarter of senior level postings (23%) do not list any academic qualifications in

their postings.


Table 2.7: Identified Educational Disciplines Primary Mention

1. Communication(s) 44%

2. Public Relations 8%

3. Journalism 8%

4. Marketing 6%

5. Business 5%

6. Other 6%

7. None Listed 23%

Source: McMaster University/CPRF 2013 Content Analysis; n=273

The main educational discipline mentioned in job posts, as per Table 2.7, was

in “Communication(s)” at almost half of all listings (44%). Just fewer than one in ten

listings sought traditional discipline areas such as “Public Relations” (8%) or

Journalism (8%). Both Marketing (6%) and Business (5%) each represented about

one in twenty of the positions advertised. Seven per cent, 6% and 4% of all posts

respectively sought for Public Relations, Business and Journalism educational

disciplines. Almost a quarter (24%) made no discipline-‐specific education mention.

Correlation analysis was unable to demonstrate any statistically significant

difference in education discipline preference among more junior or intermediate

and senior level postings.


Table 2.8: Number of Postings Listing Accreditation

Primary Mention

1. ABC 4%

2. APR 3%

3. Other 2%

4. None Listed 91% Source: McMaster University/CPRF 2013 Content Analysis; n=273

Perhaps the most meaningful finding from analysis of accreditation within

the public relations job posts in Canada is how minor it appears to be as criterion.

Table 8 shows that over nine in ten job posts (91%) make no mention of any

professional accreditation. Only one in twenty-‐five (4%) referenced the “ABC”

accreditation (Accredited Business Communicator, the professional accreditation

granted through the International Association of Business Communicators, or IABC)

and 3% for “APR” (Accredited in Public Relations, through the Canadian Public

Relations Society, or CPRS). The other 2% of accreditations spanned a range of

professions, none directly linked to public relations.

Table 2.9: Mean Salary Level of Posted Positions Annual Salary in $

Average Salary in Postings*

$70K

Source: McMaster University/CPRF 2013 Content Analysis; n=273 *Only 51 of 273 postings provided salary information; rounded to the nearest $1000.00.


Only 20 of 92 job postings analyzed had a salary range provided. Among the

twenty posted with this information, we see that in Table 2.9, the mean average

salary was $70,000.00. Given that posts for senior positions were less likely to

advertise salary numbers, the $70K is almost certainly a low figure for actual

salaries, however due to the small sample of posts with actual details it is impossible

to generate any accurate estimate of salary range in public relations based on job

postings per se.

Additional analysis of the job posts was conducted in order to demonstrate the

representativeness of the sample of posts and provide evidence of mitigating factors

in the sample.


Phase 3: Depth Interviews with Senior Public Relations/Communications Executives3

While the first two phases of this study examined the literature and job

postings to understand the requisite competencies, skills and knowledge required of

21st century entry/junior level public relations practitioners, this phase took those

findings to senior public relations/communications executives to evaluate and

understand from those on the frontlines what is required to make it in the

profession today.

Thirty executives participated in hour-‐long depth interviews conducted

between February 1 and March 31, 2014. Participants were recruited through

membership lists of the Canadian Public Relations Society, the International

Association of Business Communicators, and the Canadian Council of Public

Relations Executives. Personal invitations were sent to approximately 60 potential

participants with a link to an online scheduling system where respondents could

select a time that was convenient to their schedule. Each interview was conducted

by Dr. Terry Flynn, via telephone, and all participants gave permission for the

interviews to be audio-‐recorded. Transcripts of each interview were produced for

eventual analysis upon completion of the final interviews.

Every effort was made to ensure an equal distribution of participants from

across Canada however limited responses from respondents in Quebec and Atlantic

Canada meant that participation rates are higher for Ontario than would be

preferable.

3 This is a summary of a qualitative, in-‐depth study of hiring managers conducted by the research team to be submitted to an academic journal for review.


Table 3.1: Location of Participants

Location Number of Participants

Greater Toronto Area 10

Ontario 7

Alberta 4

British Columbia 4

Quebec 4

Atlantic Canada 1

Total 30

Participants in Phase 3 had on average nearly 18 years of professional public

relations/communications experience (range from 5 to 30 years) and are employed

in roles from ‘Chief Communications Officer’ to ‘Manager of Public Relations and

Communications’. Sectors represented include: Health care, government, education,

energy/utilities, corporate, non-‐profit, transportation, food retail and consulting

firms. Twenty-‐one of the participants were women and nine were men – which is

the same gender split as garnered in Phase 4.

During the recruitment phase, representatives of the Canadian Council of

Public Relations Firms suggested that the competencies, skills and knowledge for

entry/junior level practitioners working at agencies are different than those in other

sectors. As no published research could confirm or refute that claim, it was agreed

that both Phase 3 and Phase 4 would seek to test that hypothesis. As such, in this


phase, 10 of the depth interviews were conducted with senior leaders at agencies

from across Canada, representing a total of 33% of the participants.

Over the last two years, these participants received nearly 6000 applications

for the 54 positions they hired for their agencies or organizations; giving them first-‐

hand experience in assessing resumes and conducting face-‐to-‐face interviews.

Lack of Awareness of Professional Studies

In order to understand the process of hiring at these organizations a series of

questions were asked of each participant to assess their internal hiring processes.

When asked whether they consulted any studies or publications published by public

relations/communications associations or societies on the requisite competencies,

skills and knowledge for entry/junior positions (such as the CPRS, IABC, PRSA, or

the Counselors Academy of PRSA), 73% of respondents said that they had not and

that they either had a standard job description template developed by their Human

Resources office or had reviewed other job ads recently posted when creating their

position descriptions.

When asked specifically if they had consulted the 2011 CPRS ‘Pathways to the

Profession’ report on curriculum outcomes, 60% (n=18) reported that they were

unaware of the report. While the CPRS has invested a great deal of resources and

effort to establish an outcomes-‐based curriculum framework for public relations

education that is aligned to career progress within the profession, it appears that it

is relatively unknown by senior leaders within the profession. Even among those

that were aware of the document, aside from three participants that were members

of the Education Council of CPRS, the remaining nine participants stated that they


were aware of it but could not provide any insights into the nature or purpose of the

report.

In the same vein, 63% of respondents were unaware of the recently launched

Public Relations Knowledge (PRK) exam for entry/junior level practitioners and

rated the level of importance of the PRK when hiring new employees with a mean

score of 2.8 on a 5-‐point Likert scale. Once again this low-‐level of awareness and

understanding of this importance of this important equivalency initiative, launched

with great resources and expectations by CPRS, is suffering from a lack of awareness

amongst the senior ranks of the profession.

Educational Qualifications

When asked to rank the level of importance of specific educational

qualifications, the participants provided the following assessment in Table 3.2.

Table 3.2: How Important is it that your new hires have the following educational qualifications. Educational Credential Level of Importance

Mean Score* A College Diploma (no university degree and no specialization in public relations/communications)

1.9

A College Diploma with a specialization in public relations/communications

3.7

A University Degree (with no specialization in public relations/communications)

3.4

A University Degree with specialization in public relations/communications

4.2

A Graduate Degree (with no specialization in public relations/communications)

1.7

A Graduate Degree with specialization in public relations/communications

2.2

An MBA 1.7 *Scale: 1-‐not at all important to 5=very important


The most important credential for these participants was a university degree with a

specialization in public relations/communications – this could be achieved either

with a degree program that focuses specifically on public relations education, like a

Bachelor of Public Relations or a B.A. in Professional Communications, or through a

combined undergraduate degree and a College post-‐graduate certificate program,

although this option is not available in all provinces, especially Quebec. All of the

participants stated during the interviews that the minimum qualification for hiring

entry/junior level practitioners is a university degree with either some volunteer,

intern or relevant job experience garnered during their schooling.

Perceptions of Competencies

Based on the research conducted in Phases 1 and 2, participants were asked

to rank, by level of importance, the following general competencies (see Table 1.1)

when hiring entry/junior level practitioners.

Table 3.3: Importance of General Competencies

Competency When Hiring

Entry/Junior Staff

Mean* Information Processing 3.9 Communication Skills 4.7 Collaboration/Teamwork 4.5 Information & Communication Technology (ICTs) 3.8 Innovation 3.4 Adaptability/Flexibility 4.3 Problem solving 4.0 Critical thinking 4.0

Index Mean 4.1 *Scale: 1=not at all important to 5=very important


Senior leaders within the public relations profession give high marks to these 21st

century competencies as identified in the literature review. Most important when

hiring is a candidate’s communications skills, the ability to demonstrate and provide

evidence of collaboration and teamwork (through previous work examples or

school projects) and the ability to show that they are adaptable and flexible to the

changing demands of the profession.

Perceptions of Skills

Participants were also asked to rank, by level of importance, 20 skills (see

Table 1.2) when hiring entry/junior level employees.

Table 3.4: Importance of Public Relations/Communications Skills

Skills When Hiring Entry/Junior Staff

ethical decision-‐making 4.6 strategic management/planning 3.0 business acumen 2.9 analytical/evaluation/measurement 3.6 leadership 3.3 crisis management 2.8 relationship building 4.4 writing 4.7 media relations 3.6 project management 3.7 oral/verbal communications 4.6 interpersonal communications 4.6 social media 3.9 stakeholder relationship management 3.2 client relationship management 3.4 staff management 2.1 event management 3.0 graphic design 2.5 web design & development 2.6 photo/videography 2.7 TOTAL MEANS 3.5


As was the case with the general competencies as listed in Table 3.3,

communications skills rank at the top of importance when hiring new entry/junior

level employees. According to the respondents, the four most important skills are

writing (4.7), ethical decision-‐making, oral/verbal communications and

interpersonal communications (4.6). The least important skills when hiring new

employees fall within production type skills (graphic design, web design and

development and photography/videography) that respondents indicated are

commodity type skills with high availability within their current supplier base.

The Intangibles: What’s Missing

When asked what were some of the intangible qualities that entry/junior

level candidates were missing during the hiring process (and for some even after

the hiring process), respondents’ comments could be segmented into three general

categories: Personal, Professional and Passions

Under Personal respondents said that they wanted to see more of the following: • Positive attitude • Initiative • Confidence • Common sense • Self-‐regulation • Discretion • Friendliness

Under Professional respondents said that they wanted to see more of the following:

• Work ethic • Enthusiasm • Good judgment • Professionalism • Managing multiple demands/workload • Flexibility • Sense of Urgency • Ability to work in a fast-‐paced environment


Under Passions respondents said that they wanted to see more of the following: • Creativity • Curiosity • Passion • Critical Thinking • Writing • Willingness to learn

Above all, respondents overwhelmingly stated that they wanted to hire a passionate,

creative, professional and enthusiastic candidate who, through their resume and

portfolio, demonstrated excellent writing, critical thinking, creativity and

confidence, and an ability to manage multiple demands in a fast-‐paced, constantly

changing environment.


Phase 4 – Online Survey of

Public Relations/Communications Professionals

From April 17-‐28, 2014, an online, multi-‐segmented, 15-‐question, bilingual

survey was hosted and launched by Leger, as part of their sponsorship of the

Foundation and collaboration on this research project. With support from the

Canadian Public Relations Society, local chapters of the International Association of

Business Communicators in Canada, the Canadian Council of Public Relations Firms

and promotion through Twitter and LinkedIn public relations/communications

discussion groups, a survey link was forwarded to potential participants and

reminder notices were communicated during the 11 days that the survey was open

for completion.

A tiered approach to participants was designed to segment entry-‐level

practitioners (those with less than 2 years of full-‐time work experience, and either

with or without formal public relations education), junior level practitioners (those

with less than 5 years of full-‐time work experience, and either with or without

formal public relations education) and intermediate and senior-‐level practitioners

(those with more than six years of full-‐time work experience).

Overview of Participants

A total of 206 participants completed the 15-‐minute survey: 148

intermediate/senior practitioners and 58 entry/junior level practitioners. As seen in

Figure 1, the majority of participants (n=115/56%) had more than 10 years of

experience while entry-‐level participants had the lowest participation (12%).


Of the 206 participants, 54% were members of CPRS, 30% held membership

in IABC, and 29% were not members of any professional association. A total of 59

participants (29%) held professional designations (APR=20%, ABC = 3%, other =

5%). Nearly 60% of the survey participants have not obtained professional

designations while 14% of respondents stated that they had no interest in a

designation.

According to Figure 2, age distribution was fairly normal with the highest

percentage of participants falling within the 35-‐54 year age grouping.

Seventy percent of participants were female and thirty percent were male.

This generally reflects the current gender distribution within public

24 34 33

115

Entry (1-‐2 Years) Junior (3-‐5 Years) Intermediate (6-‐10 Years)

Senior (More than 10 Years)

Figure 1: Number of Participants by Level of Experience (n=206)

5%

31%

23%

22%

18% 1%

Figure 2: Participation By Age Groups

18-‐24 25-‐34 35-‐44 45-‐54 55-‐64 65 +


relations/communications as acknowledged by studies conducted for professional

associations and academic research. 4 The sectors in which participants are

currently working is listed in Table 4.1 with a comparison to data collected (N=238)

in the 2011 CPRS National Membership Survey by Leger.

Table 4.1: Number of Participants by Sector and Experience Sector Entry /

Junior (#)

Intermediate/ Senior (#)

Total (#)/ Percentage (%)

2011 CPRS Results5/ Percentage

Consulting Firm 23 35 58/28.2% 28% Private Company 3 14 17/8.3% 6% Publicly Trade Company

4 12 16/7.8% N/A

Government 12 33 45/22% 20% Hospital/Healthcare 6 4 10/5% 3% Non-‐profit 6 71 23/11% 12% Education 3 16 19/9% 9% Freelance/Self-‐Employed

1 7 8/4% N/A

As seen in Table 4.2, nearly half of the respondents (45%) reported that their

salaries fall within the $60-‐99,999 range with 36% of participants earning salaries

of more than $100,000 per year.

Table 4.2: Salary Ranges of Participants Salary Entry/

Junior (#)

Intermediate / Senior (#)

Total (#)/ Percentage (%)

$20-‐39,999 7 1 8/4% $40-‐59,999 26 4 30/15% $60-‐79,999 19 33 52/25% $80-‐99,999 6 36 42/20% $100,000 + -‐-‐ 74 74/36%

4 Seitel, F. P. (2014). “Women and Minorities”, p. 99. 5 CPRS National Membership Survey, May 2011. (N=238) http://www.cprs.ca/uploads/Survey/June.2011.CPRS.Survey.pdf


While the survey was distributed across the country through social media

and the participating professional associations, completion rates were skewed with

the majority of participants from Ontario (61%), Western Canada (28%), Quebec

(8%) and Atlantic Canada (3%), similar to participation rates in Phase 3.

Perceptions of the Public Relations Knowledge Exam (PRK)

In 2013, the Canadian Public Relations Society launched ‘Public Relations

Knowledge’ exam to assess and benchmark foundational knowledge of the

profession and generally accepted practices of the field in Canada. The PRK is

specifically targeted at entry and junior level practitioners and is the first

“equivalency exam” for the profession.6 As part of this survey both entry/junior and

intermediate/senior were asked for their opinions on the PRK. Below is a summary

of those results.

Fully 44% of intermediate/senior participants were aware of the PRK while

52% were not (4.1% were not sure). This group also had a low level of awareness of

the CPRS ‘Pathways to the Profession’ Curriculum Framework document: 60% were

unaware while 32% were aware and 8% were not sure.

While 36% of the entry/junior level participants had heard of the PRK, none

of the 58 respondents had completed the PRK to date. Of those that were aware of

the exam, 14% planned to take the exam in the future, 48% had no plans to take the

exam and 38% didn’t know.

6 CPRS. (2014). Introducing the Public Relations Knowledge (PRK) exam.


Outlook for the Profession

When asked about their current outlook for the profession, 94% of

participants (n=194) had a positive outlook on public relations/communication:

Very positive (51%) and somewhat positive (43%). This positive perspective was

supported by 66% (n=136) who said that they saw themselves still working in the

profession in the next 10 years, compared to 17% who said that they didn’t see

themselves working in public relations/communications in 10 years and the

remaining 17% who didn’t know.

Results for Entry/Junior Level Practitioners

While the participation in the survey for entry/junior level practitioners is

relatively low at 28%, the data gathered from the participants is a valuable

foundation for future study. The following tables (4.3 & 4.4) outline both the level of

education and years of experience of this cohort.

Table 4.3: Years of Experience for Entry/Junior Level Practitioners (N=58)

Years of Experience Number Percentage Less than one year 4 7% 1-‐2 years 19 33% 2-‐3 years 18 31% 4-‐5 years 17 29%


Table 4.4: Level of Education for Entry/Junior Level Practitioners (N=58) Level of Education Number Percentage College 4 6% Some University 2 3% University/Undergraduate 17 29% University/Graduate 13 22% Post-‐Graduate Diploma/Certificate

22 38%

Entry/Junior Level: Education and Competencies

The online survey had a series of questions designed to assess entry/junior

level practitioners’ perceptions of how their overall education helped them gain the

necessary competencies for the profession. In addition participants were asked to

assess how their public relations/education courses helped them gain specific

professional skills. These two banks of questions were followed by a series of

questions that asked entry/junior level practitioners to assess their own

competencies and skills – in essence these questions allowed participants to reflect

and rate themselves on their own preparedness for the practice.

As seen in Figure 4.3, all entry/junior level practitioners were asked to rate

their college/university experience as a means of preparing them for a career in

public relations/communications. Entry-‐level participants with formal public

relations/communications out ranked those entry-‐level participants without formal

public relations/communications by nearly a full point – showing a meaningful

difference between the two groups. The difference between the junior-‐level groups,


while slightly higher for those with formal public relations/communications

training, does not suggest a meaningful difference.

Scale: 5-‐point Likert Scale: 1= Not at all, 5=Absolutely Overall entry and junior level practitioners have a somewhat positive outlook on

how their education contributed to their professional competencies, according to

Table 4.5. The Index Mean Scores for all four categories however show no

measurable difference between the four groups suggesting that respondents

generally believed that their post-‐secondary education helped them to gain the

necessary competencies for the profession.

Participants ranked thinking analytically, working on complex projects,

processing information, effectively communicating, collaborating and working in

teams, solving problems and thinking critically with mean scores above 4 – four of

which are 21st century competencies as identified in the literature review (see Table

1.1). However they ranked their college/university education below average when

helping them gain experience in working with Information, Communication

Technologies (ICTs) with an overall mean score of 2.8. While technology costs and

class sizes may limit the availability and effective use of ICTs within a public

relations program, it is obvious that with growing trends and hard/software

3.3 4.2 3.6 3.8

Entry/Non PR Education Entry/PR Education Junior/Non PR Education Junior/PR Education

Figure 4.3: Degree to Which College/University Prepared Them For Their Career

Mean Score


development in mobile technology, that understanding and use of ICT platforms will

be a must for future public relations/communications graduates.

Furthermore greater effort should be made by post-‐secondary institutions to

identify and communicate how their course and program outcomes are specifically

tied to these 21st century competencies. Perhaps more emphasis should be given

when writing program or course outcomes on how these educational experiences

provide and ready students for the workforce with these specific competencies.

Table 4.5: To what degree do you believe that your college or university education helped you gain the following competencies? Competency Entry/

Non PR Education (n=11)

Entry/ PR Education (n=13)

Junior/ Non PR Education (n=14)

Junior/ PR Education (n=20)

All (n=58)

Ability to… Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean think strategically 3.9 3.9 4.1 3.8 3.9

think analytically 4.2 4.0 4.1 4.0 4.1 influence others 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.5

lead others 3.3 3.2 2.8 3.4 3.2

work on a variety of complex projects

3.9 4.3 4.1 4.0 4.1

work in a fast-‐pasted environment with tight project deadlines

3.5 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.8

process information 4.1 4.2 4.5 4.0 4.2

effectively communicate 3.9 4.0 4.0 4.2 4.0 collaborate with others and work in teams

3.8 4.3 3.8 4.2 4.0

work with ICTs 2.5 3.0 2.6 2.9 2.8

be innovative 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 be adaptable and flexible

3.6 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.6

solve problems 3.8 4.1 4.1 3.8 4.0

think critically 3.8 4.2 4.4 4.0 4.1 Total

Index Mean 3.6

Index Mean 3.8

Index Mean 3.8

Index Mean 3.8

Grand Mean 3.7

Scale: 5-‐point Likert Scale: 1= Not at all, 5=Absolutely


While entry/junior level participants generally gave their educational

experience a neutral ranking in helping them gain these 21st century competencies,

they were more generous when assessing their own competencies in these specific

areas (see Table 4.6). Their overall rating was significantly higher (M=4.2) on

reflection than in Table 4.5 (M=3.7). Interestingly those participants with non-‐public

relations/communications management education generally scored themselves

higher than those with public relations specific education (but the difference is not

statistically significant). The higher self-‐assessment rating may again be an

indication that the participants generally do not believe that their formal education

provided, or helped them gain these competencies and yet they believe that they

generally have a positive assessment of their own competencies in these areas.

In Table 4.7, ratings from respondents on their belief that the public

relations/communications courses helped them gain 22 identified skills (garnered

from the literature review, job postings and in-‐depth interviews) show overall

neutral scores (Grand Mean = 3.0). The only skill that scored above 4 was

“professional/public relations writing” with a mean score of 4.2 – entry level

participants gave this skill the highest rating in all 22 with an mean score of 4.5. The

skills receiving the lowest ratings were: photo/videography (M=1.8), financial

literacy (M=2.1), web design & development and graphic design both at M=2.2, and

business acumen (M=2.5). While production skills like photo/videography, web

development and graphic design are still taught in some college/university

programs, the low ranking from entry/junior level participants is not out of line


with the perceptions of participants in Phase 3 who also gave low marks to these

three skills when ranking their importance when hiring.

Table 4.6: How would you assess your own competency in the following area? Competency Entry/





All (n=58)

Ability to… Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean

think strategically 4.3 4.0 4.2 4.1 4.2 think analytically 4.2 3.8 4.3 4.1 4.1

influence others 3.7 3.8 4.1 3.8 3.9 lead others 3.5 3.9 3.8 4.0 3.8

work on a variety of complex projects

4.3 4.3 4.4 4.3 4.3

work in a fast-‐pasted environment with tight project deadlines

4.6 4.6 4.5 4.4 4.5

process information 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.3

ability to effectively communicate 4.5 4.2 4.5 4.3 4.4

collaborate with others and work in teams

4.5 4.5 4.4 4.4 4.5

work with ICTs 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.8 3.6

be innovative 4.1 4.0 3.8 4.0 4.0

be adaptable and flexible 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.4 solve problems 4.4 4.2 4.3 4.2 4.3

think critically 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.1 4.4

Total Index

Mean 4.2

Index Mean

4.1

Index Mean

4.2

Index Mean

4.1

Grand Mean

4.2

Scale: 5-‐point Likert Scale: 1= Not at all, 5=Absolutely


Table 4.7: To what degree do you believe that the PR/Communications courses that you took during your College/University program helped you gain the following skills? Skill… Entry/





All (n=58)

ethical decision-‐making 3.4 3.4 3.1 3.2 3.3 strategic management /planning

3.5 4.0 3.0 3.5 3.5

financial literacy 1.9 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.1 business acumen 2.6 2.7 2.0 2.7 2.5 analytical/evaluation/ measurement

3.0 3.6 2.6 3.2 3.1

leadership training 2.8 2.7 2.8 3 2.8 crisis management 2.9 3.6 3.4 3 3.2 relationship building 3.8 3.8 3.5 3.4 3.6 prof/public relations writing 3.6 4.5 4.2 4.2 4.1 media relations 3.0 3.8 3.1 3.6 3.4 project management 3.2 3.8 2.9 3.8 3.4 oral/verbal communications 3.4 3.8 3.9 3.6 3.7 interpersonal communications 3.1 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.4 social media 1.8 3.3 2.4 3.4 2.7 stakeholder relationship management

2.9 3.2 2.4 2.6 2.8

client relationship management 2.5 3.0 1.9 2.5 2.5 people management 2.8 3.2 2.5 3.2 2.9 event management 2.5 3.9 2.5 3.4 3.1 graphic design 1.5 2.5 1.9 2.8 2.2 web design & development 1.8 2.5 1.8 2.6 2.2 photo/videography 1.2 2.3 1.5 2.1 1.8 time management 2.9 3.9 3.5 3.4 3.4

Total Index Mean

2.7

Index Mean

3.3

Index Mean

2.8

Index Mean

3.1

Grand Mean

3.0 Scale: 5-‐point Likert Scale: 1= Not at all, 5=Absolutely While entry/junior level respondents scored their educational preparedness

at neutral, they once again gave higher marks to themselves when assessing their

own competencies on the identified 22 public relations/communications skills.


From Table 4.8, overall scores were generally higher in all categories but specific

attention should be given to the index mean scores for both entry and junior

participants that did not have formal public relations/communications education. In

both cases, the overall mean scores were significantly higher, when compared to the

entry/junior participants that had formal public relations/communications

education and when compared against their assessment of their own formal

college/university training. For both groups with non-‐public

relations/communications education, index mean scores were nearly one point

higher than those with formal education.

Perceived Value of Commerce/Business Courses

There has been a great deal written in both the academic literature and in

professional journals of the importance of adding business/commerce type courses

to the current public relations/communications curricula, in an effort to increase

the awareness and understanding of future practitioners of their overall business

acumen. Entry and junior level respondents were asked to rank how 16

undergraduate business courses would have helped them in their current positions

(see Table 4.9). From their responses, only about one-‐third of the courses ranked

neutral to positive (higher than 3.7) with Brand Management and Marketing

scoring the highest with 4.4 and 4.3 respectively. Four courses ranked below

neutral: retail management, business law, accounting, and human resources

management.


Table 4.8: How would you assess your own competency in the following areas? Skills… Entry/





All (n=58)

ethical decision-‐making 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.25 strategic management /planning

3.8 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.0

financial literacy 2.8 2.6 2.9 2.8 2.8 business acumen 3.1 3.2 3.0 3.2 3.1 analytical/evaluation/ measurement

3.6 3.8 3.1 3.9 3.6

leadership training 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.4 3.3 crisis management 3.5 3.2 3.6 3.2 3.4 relationship building 4.2 4.2 4.5 4.0 4.2 prof/public relations writing 4.6 4.5 4.4 4.2 4.4 media relations 3.5 4.1 4.4 4.0 4.0 project management 3.7 3.7 3.8 4.1 3.8 oral/verbal communications 4.8 4.2 4.4 4.2 4.4 interpersonal communications 4.1 4.2 4.4 4.2 4.2 social media 3.8 4.3 3.6 4.1 4.0 stakeholder relationship management

3.6 3.6 3.8 3.8 3.7

client relationship management 3.5 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.7 people management 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.8 3.6 event management 3.5 4.0 3.5 4.3 3.8 graphic design 2.3 2.8 2.1 2.6 2.5 web design & development 2.6 2.8 2.1 2.8 2.6 photo/videography 2.8 2.8 2.2 2.8 2.7 time management 3.7 4.2 3.9 4.2 4.0

Total Index Mean

3.6

Index Mean

3.7

Index Mean

3.6

Index Mean

3.7

Grand Mean

3.6 Scale: 5-‐point Likert Scale: 1= Not at all, 5=Absolutely


Table 4.9: To What Degree Would These Courses Have Helped You In Your Current Position Business/Commerce Courses

Entry/ Non PR Education (n=11)




All (n=58)

Global Business Environments

2.9 3.2 3.1 2.8 3.0

Human Resources Management

2.4 3.2 3.1 2.8 2.9

Accounting 2.6 2.5 3.2 3.0 2.8 Marketing 4.0 3.7 4.8 4.6 4.3 Organizational Behaviour

3.0 3.6 4.1 4.2 3.7

Financial Reporting 3.2 2.8 3.2 3.4 3.2 Brand Management 4.1 4.1 4.8 4.4 4.4 Corporate Social Responsibility

3.7 3.7 3.9 4.2 3.9

Advanced Research Methods

4.0 3.6 4.1 4.0 3.9

Statistical Analysis 3.6 2.7 3.4 3.8 3.4 Consulting 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.8 Professional Service Management

3.3 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.4

Advertising 3.7 3.4 3.9 3.7 3.7 Intro to Business 3.0 4.2 4.1 4.2 3.9 Business Law 2.7 2.9 2.3 3.0 2.7 Retail Management 2.5 2.1 1.4 1.8 2.0

Total Index Mean

3.3

Index Mean

3.3

Index Mean 3.5

Index Mean

3.6

Grand Mean

3.4 Scale: 5-‐point Likert Scale: 1= Not at all, 5=Absolutely


Intermediate and Senior Level Practitioners Perspectives

Overall intermediate and senior level practitioners have a very positive

outlook on the public relations/communications profession. Fully 95% of

respondents (n=140) had either a “very positive” or a “somewhat positive” outlook

for the profession. When asked if they saw themselves working in public relations in

10 years, 66% of participants (n=97) said yes, while 21% said no and 14% stated

they didn’t know.

According to Table 4.10, fully 46% of the 148 intermediate and senior level

practitioners that participated in this survey had an overall positive opinion that the

current college/university public relations programs prepared their entry/junior

level employees for a career in public relations/communications; At the same time,

41% of this group gave a neutral score when answering this same question. When

combined with net negative scores, more than half of the respondents (56%) have a

negative to neutral perspective of the current educational programs.

While this is the first study of its kind to report this finding, thereby acting as

a benchmark against future testing, public relations and communications program

directors and educators should take note that the majority of intermediate and

senior level practitioners who responded to this survey believe that the current

educational framework isn’t adequately preparing students for a career in the

profession.


Table 4.10: When thinking about the entry or junior level practitioners that currently work with or for you, to what degree do you believe that the post-‐secondary education (College or University programs) they obtained prepared them for a career in public relations/communications?

Answer Total Answering: N=148

Percentage %

1 – Not At All 4 3 2 17 12 3 – Neutral 60 41 4 44 30 5 – Absolutely 23 16 Net Negative (1, 2) 21 15 Net Positive (4, 5) 67 46

Mean 3.4 Importance of 21st Century Competencies When asked to rank the importance of the 21st century competencies (see

Table 4.11a), as identified in the literature, the intermediate/senior level

participants provided almost the same ranking (M=4.3) as the 30 participants

during Phase 3 (M=4.1). Overall senior level participants gave a positive ranking to

the 14 competencies when hiring new entry/junior level employees. At the same

time, they gave almost neutral scores (M=3.4) to their current entry/junior level

when asked to assess them on their level of competencies (see Table 4.11b) – which

is in contrast to the more than positive (M=4.2) self assessment by entry/junior

level participants when assessing their own competencies in this area (see Table

4.6).


Table 4.11b gives a full picture of the important competencies that

intermediate/senior practitioners believe entry/junior applicants should

demonstrate when they are seeking employment within the public

relations/communications profession. Employers are looking at an applicant’s

ability to communicate effectively, process information – to make sense of the vast

amount of data now available to organizational employees when developing

communications campaigns and programs – be collaborative, be a team player and

finally be flexible and adaptable to work in this fast-‐pasted, changing environment.

Table 4.11a: Importance of 21st Century Competencies Competency When Hiring

Entry/Junior Staff

(N=148)

When Hiring Entry/Junior

Staff (N=30)*

Current Entry/Junior

Staff (N=148)

process information 4.6 3.9 3.7 ability to effectively communicate 4.7 4.7 3.7 collaborate with others and work in teams

4.6 4.5 4.1

work with ICTs 4.1 3.8 3.9 be innovative 3.7 3.4 3.2 be adaptable and flexible 4.5 4.3 3.8 solve problems 4.1 4.0 3.3 think critically 4.1 4.0 3.1

TOTAL MEANS 4.3 4.1 3.6 Scale: 5-‐point Likert Scale: 1= Not at all, 5=Absolutely *From Table 3.3: Importance of General Competencies (Phase 3 participants) Intermediate and senior level respondents were fairly neutral in ranking their

current entry/junior level staff on these competencies. The only competency that

rated a positive score was collaboration and teamwork (M=4.1) while leading and

influencing others received below neutral scores (M=2.5, M=2.9). The remaining 11


competencies scored in the neutral range. Not a ringing endorsement of their

currently entry/junior level staff.

Table 4.11b: Importance of Competencies To Intermediate/Senior Practitioners When Hiring Entry/Junior Level Practitioners Competency When

Hiring Entry/Junior

Staff

Current Entry/Junior

Staff

Ability to… Mean Mean think strategically 3.7 3.0 think analytically 4.0 3.1 influence others 3.3 2.9 lead others 2.8 2.5 work on a variety of complex projects 3.9 3.6 work in a fast-‐pasted environment with tight project deadlines

4.5 3.8

process information 4.6 3.7 ability to effectively communicate 4.7 3.7 collaborate with others and work in teams 4.6 4.1 work with ICTs 4.1 3.9 be innovative 3.7 3.2 be adaptable and flexible 4.5 3.8 solve problems 4.1 3.3 think critically 4.1 3.1

TOTAL MEANS 4.0 3.4 Scale: 5-‐point Likert Scale: 1= Not at all, 5=Absolutely Importance of Public Relations Skills Of the 22 identified public relations skills (see Table 4.12)

intermediate/senior level respondents gave positive rankings to only six skills when

considering new entry/junior level practitioners: ethical decision-‐making (4.6),

professional/public relations writing (4.5), oral/verbal communications (4.5),


interpersonal communications (4.5), time management (4.4), and social media (4.1).

Three skills had rankings approaching positive: relationship building (3.9), media

relations (3.7) and project management (3.7). At the same time they also gave

negative rankings to six skills including: leadership training (2.4), graphic design

(2.5), web design & development (2.6), photo/videography (2.6), crisis management

(2.7), and financial literacy (2.9).

When evaluating their current entry/junior level staff, the

intermediate/senior level respondents gave their employees an overall neutral

score (M=3.0) while giving negative ranking to 12 skills including: leadership

training (2.1), crisis management (2.2), financial literacy (2.3), business acumen

(2.4), people management (2.5), graphic design (2.5), web design and development

(2.6), photo/videography (2.6), strategic management/planning (2.7),

analytical/evaluation/measurement (2.8), stakeholder relationship management

(2.8), and client relationship management (2.9). The more interesting rankings are

reflected in the differences between those that scored high for respondents when

thinking about hiring entry/junior level staff and assessing the current skills of their

own entry/junior level staff. While they gave considerably lower rankings to ethical

decision-‐making (3.9), oral/verbal communications (3.8), and interpersonal

communications (3.8), the skill with the greatest differential was

professional/public relations writing. Respondents ranked this skill with a 4.5 when

hiring but only gave their current entry/junior staff a ranking of 3.5 – a full point

difference between what they want and what they have. The only other skill that


had a similar one-‐point differential was time management which was ranked 4.4

when hiring and 3.4 when assessing their current staff.

Table 4.12: Importance of Skills to Intermediate/Senior Practitioners When Hiring Entry/Junior Level Practitioners Skills When

Hiring Entry/Junior

Staff

Current Entry/Junior Staff

ethical decision-‐making 4.6 3.9 strategic management/planning 3.2 2.7 financial literacy 2.9 2.3 business acumen 3.1 2.4 analytical/evaluation/measurement 3.6 2.8 leadership training 2.4 2.1 crisis management 2.7 2.2 relationship building 3.9 3.2 prof/pr writing 4.5 3.5 media relations 3.7 3.1 project management 3.7 3.1 oral/verbal communications 4.5 3.8 interpersonal communications 4.5 3.8 social media 4.1 3.9 stakeholder relationship management 3.2 2.8 client relationship management 3.4 2.9 people management 3.0 2.5 event management 3.2 3.0 graphic design 2.5 2.5 web design & development 2.6 2.6 photo/videography 2.6 2.6 time management 4.4 3.4

TOTAL MEANS 3.5 3.0 Scale: 5-‐point Likert Scale: 1= Not at all, 5=Absolutely Perceived Value of Commerce/Business Courses


Overall intermediate/senior level respondents scored the value of

commerce/business courses in preparing entry/junior level practitioners for a

career in public relations lower than did the entry/junior level respondents (see

Table 4.13). While the intermediate/senior level respondents only ranked one

course positively, Marketing (M=4.0), brand management was closely behind with a

mean score of 3.9. These are the same two top rankings for entry/junior level

respondents as well. More surprising however was that intermediate/senior level

respondents ranked six of the business courses below neutral while entry/junior

participants ranked only four below neutral.

In recent years there has been great discussion within academic programs,

professional associations and education circles about the need to broaden the

current public relations/communications curriculum to include more business

courses. While this study reports the results from a small sample of Canadian

intermediate/senior level practitioners, the value of business courses for new hires

isn’t supported with these results.


Table 4.13: Value of Other Courses To Prepare Entry/Junior Level Practitioners For a Career in Public Relations/Communications Course Intermediate/Senior Level

Respondents (N=148) Entry/Junior Level

Respondents (N=58) Global Business Environments 2.7 3.0 Human Resource Management 2.6 2.9 Accounting 2.6 2.8 Marketing 4.0 4.3 Organizational Behaviour 3.6 3.7 Financial Reporting 2.9 3.2 Brand Management 3.9 4.4 Corporate Social Responsibility 3.6 3.9 Advanced Research Methods 3.5 3.9 Statistical Analysis 3.2 3.4 Consulting 3.3 3.8 Pro Service Management 3.1 3.4 Advertising 3.3 3.7 Intro to Business 3.7 3.9 Business Law 2.5 2.7 Retail Management 2.0 2.0

Total 3.2 3.4


Conclusions

This multi-‐phased research study sought to understand if entry/junior level

practitioners have what it takes to be successful in the public

relations/communications profession today. Throughout our four phases (literature

review, analysis of job adds, discussions with 30 senior communicators and analysis

of more than 200 online responses) we investigated the following questions: Do

they have the requisite competencies, skills and knowledge that hiring managers are

seeking in new employees? How has their formal and informal post-‐secondary

education prepared them for the workforce? How would they assess their own

readiness for a career in professional communications? And finally, to what degree

do their managers believe that are in fact prepared for a career in this fast-‐paced,

dynamic profession?

While the literature review identified 10 specific competencies, skills and

knowledge necessary to successfully practice public relations in the 21st century

(see Table 1.2), the findings from the analysis of job advertisements begin to

provide empirical evidence of the required or sought-‐after skills and abilities for

practitioners today. Most notably among the identified skills was that of writing –

the traditional foundation of the practice. However a significant number of

advertisements asked that respondents have communication and corporate strategy

expertise that suggests a growing level of importance for future senior level

practitioners.


The depth interviews and online survey provided the most significant

findings of this research study. While the first two phases looked retrospectively on

the requisite competencies, skills and knowledge, the final two phases provided the

most current insights on the gap between the expected competencies, skills and

knowledge of entry/junior level practitioners and reality. Overall intermediate and

senior practitioners who participated in this study suggest that the current levels

are adequate but below what they expect and need of new employees.

This is the first co-‐orientational research study on competencies, skills and

knowledge conducted with public relations/communications practitioners in

Canada and as such, provides a benchmark for future investigation. By investigating

the hiring practices and the expected competencies and skills – through analysis of

what those hiring are seeking in entry/junior level candidates in their job

advertisements and through in-‐depth discussions with senior communicators who

have actively hired into these positions over the last two years -‐-‐ we have concluded

that a combination of 21st century competencies (information processing,

collaboration and teamwork, adaptability, ability to work in a fast-‐past

environment, problem solving, critical thinking and ability to work with

Information, Communication Technologies) and skills (writing, ethical decision-‐

making, time management, interpersonal communications, oral/verbal

communications and social media) are necessary for those entering the public

relations/communications profession to have what it takes to succeed in the public

relations/communications management profession today.


Recommendations

The data and perspectives that this research study has produced has

provided our research team with insights and recommendations for educational

institutions, educators, students, hiring managers and industry associations. Our

recommendations, while not tested, are informed the information that we have

gathered over this project and our years of practice, teaching, curriculum

development and volunteer participation in industry associations.

Industry Associations

• It should be recognized that the CPRS and its National Council on Education

have invested a great deal of time and resources over the last five years to

understand the current educational landscape, provide leadership and

direction to educational institutions, develop meaningful recognition

programs and establish both the ‘Pathways to the Profession’ curriculum

framework and the Public Relations Knowledge (PRK) Exam. These

initiatives have significantly helped to update public

relations/communications management programs and curriculums across

the country with the desire of providing students and future leaders of the

industry with more timely and relevant competencies, knowledge and skills.

• While a great deal of work has been done on developing the “Pathways to the

Profession” and the Public Relations Knowledge (PRK) Exam, it appears that

there is limited knowledge within the industry and among students on the

value and importance of these initiatives. Immediate and sustained outreach

to hiring managers, identified senior communications leaders (CCOs) who


are not involved in these initiatives, agency presidents and their executive

teams, education and industry reporters, and educational institutes is

required to raise awareness, promote the adoption of the PRK exam, and

increase support for these programs.

• From our research we heard that every final candidate for an entry/junior

level position is required to engage in some type of competency test to

evaluate their writing, their decision-‐making skills, their knowledge of

specific skills, and their speed of response. We believe that the PRK could be

used as a proxy for these in-‐house exams, only after hiring managers

understand and realize the value of the PRK.

• As social media continues to change and influence organizations across the

country, associations should ensure that ‘Pathways to the Profession’ stays

current and that the educational programs that are recognized by the

industry remain current and that their program outcomes remain relevant.

• In order to provide a stronger connection between educational institutions,

educators and the industry and as a means of ensuring that educators are

aware of and understand the latest developments and changes within the

industry, it would be beneficial that a educational exchange program, like the

‘Fellowship for Educators’ at Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations

at the University of Alabama be initiated in Canada. Organizations sponsor an

educator for a two-‐week program that bridges the gap between the practice

and the classroom.


• The National Council on Education should also be an advocate for the

advancement of public relations/communications management education in

Canada and should initiate an outreach program to the provincial ministries

of education (universities, colleges and training) to inform policy makers and

educational standards developers of the value of the ‘Pathways to the

Profession’ curriculum framework in an effort to promote continued

enhancement of programs and the development of a recognized standard for

public relations curricula across the country.

• From a preliminary scan of identified public relations/communications

management programs in Canada, there currently appears to be less than 10

bachelor degree programs (of which half are based at universities), nearly 30

college-‐level diploma/certificate programs and only two graduate programs,

with less than 25% of those programs recognized by the Canadian Public

Relations Society. By contrast, in Australia, a country with a population of

23.5 million, the Public Relations Institute of Australia has accredited 55

undergraduate degrees and post-‐graduate diplomas at 18 different

universities. By further comparison, according to the Association to Advance

Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the leading global standards and

accreditation body, in 2013 there were 711 accredited business schools in 47

countries. While the AACSB has been in existence since 1919, the model of

global accreditation or recognition is one that could be developed by the

Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management to

ensure quality and continuous improvement in public relations education.


Educational Institutions

• The Canadian communications and public relations educational landscape is

uniquely different and currently faced with ideological, pedagogical, and

resources challenges. And yet the majority of communications studies

programs are bursting at the seams and becoming some of the largest

programs in Arts and Humanities faculties across the country. While almost

every university across the country has a “communication studies”

programs, few have specific streams that focus on professional

communications or public relations education. (see Flynn & Sevigny, 2013

for further elaboration). There has been moderate growth over the last

decade in new bachelor programs at the community college level, however

none of the “traditional” universities, by which we mean universities that

have always been chartered as universities and not the recently transitioned

college to university institutions, have launched specific public

relations/communications management programs. While a number of the

mature programs have undergone significant program revisions to match the

needs of marketplace, the overall number of public relations and professional

communications university-‐based programs across the country is still

wanting.

• Industry associations should work more closely with university-‐based

communications studies programs to help build the case for more focused

courses on professional communications and/or public relations. Graduate-‐

trained practitioners could also present themselves as viable candidates to


teach sessional courses including: professional writing, introduction to

public relations, cases and campaigns, reputation management and crisis

communications. Educational institutions should seek out members of their

local communities (and more importantly graduates of their programs) who

are actively involved with the practice to provide advice, support and help to

fund professional development, mentoring and guest lecture opportunities.

• Recent reports from the United Kingdom (Clifton & Thorley, 2014) suggest

that careers in business, media and the public service will grow by nearly

20% over the next 10 years. In the UK this is a reflection of both market

expansion and the real impact of the eventual retirement of the baby-‐boom

generation from the workforce. While no similar study has been conducted in

Canada, the marketplace conditions are similar and organizations will be

looking for both expansion and replacement high-‐skilled professionals (those

with a university degree and specific practice-‐based training) to fill these

positions. While some universities (Mount St. Vincent, Mount Royal, Royal

Roads, the University of Ottawa, UQAM and Laval) and a number of colleges

(Conestoga, Humber, and Centennial are poised to take advantage of this

growing opportunity, most university-‐based communications studies

programs are not.

• Throughout this study, participants continually echoed the importance of

advanced professional/public relations/journalistic writing skills. Many

commented on the lack of preparedness in this area when commenting on

critical entry-‐level competencies and skills. While effective professional


styled writing courses are resource intensive (small class sizes to provide the

necessary and required feedback on writing assignments), it appears that

future graduates would benefit from a number of writing courses over the

length of their undergraduate studies. Programs should consider the

importance of writing as a core competency when reviewing their current

degree outcomes.

• Study participants overwhelming stated the importance of internships or

work placements during the course of study. While formal “co-‐op” style

programs are also very expensive to operate within programs, those students

that graduate with this type of experience will have advantage over those

that lack experience. Many of the participants pointed to their record of

hiring interns and coop students after their placements, thereby eliminating

the need for open job competitions. Recently the issue of “unpaid”

internships has garnered a great deal of important and necessary attention in

both the profession and in the academy. Traditionally only unpaid

internships or student placements where eligible for course credit, while the

more traditional coop positions did not receive credit, however with this

increased attention and awareness, participants suggest that they are moving

away from unpaid positions are will soon only hire students who can receive

an income for their work. Policies and procedures within

communication/public relations programs will need to reflect this reality.

• One of the interesting findings of this study was the listed importance of

oral/verbal and


Employers

• This study shows a distinct gap in what employers are looking for in

entry/junior level employees and what competencies, skills and knowledge

new practitioners possess. This gap is evident in Tables 4.11b and 4.12 as

employers showed a significant difference between what is important when

hiring and what their current employees possess on the identified

competencies and skills. If employers don’t feel that the candidates for

entry/junior level positions are adequately prepared then it is incumbent

upon them to work with industry associations and educational institutions to

ensure that graduating students have what it takes to succeed. This can be

done either by participation in advisory groups or meeting with university

and college program chairs to advocate and promote the development of

these critical competencies and skills in their undergraduate programs.

• In the absence of these identified important skills (ethical decision-‐making,

public relations/professional writing, oral/verbal and interpersonal

communications and time management), public relations firms, and

organizations that hire students from public relations/communications

management programs, should work with industry associations and

educational institutions to develop professional development programs

geared specifically to the development of these competencies and skills. This

type of relationship and professional development programs currently exists

in the U.K with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and in Brazil with

ABERJE, as examples.


• Employers spoke very loudly about the need for increased experiential

learning within undergraduate programs. In particular, they recommend

more real-‐word class study analysis and simulation, to increase the critical

decision-‐making skills of future employees. Teaching case studies require

well-‐written and timely cases. Given the lack of published Canadian research

and more specifically Canadian based cases, employers (whether firms or

organizations) and the industry associations can build a database of

teachable case studies that are accessible to instructors. The A.W. Page

Society in the U.S. holds an annual international corporate communications

case study competition, open to all communications and business students

from across the world, and the eventual winners’ cases are published and

available, at no charge, to instructors to use in their courses7

• It is interesting to note that most senior/intermediate participants in the

online study scored the value of business school courses as a means of

preparing public relations students for a future career in the profession at a

neutral level, they did state that courses in marketing, brand management

and introduction to business would be important courses to incorporate into

the current program curricula.

7 http://www.awpagesociety.com/insights/winning-‐case-‐studies/


Entry/Junior Level Practitioners and Students

• Our first recommendation for entry/junior level practitioners and soon-‐to-‐be

graduates of public relations/communications management programs across

the country is to read this report and understand what it takes to succeed in

the growing profession. Research shows the potential for substantial growth

over the next 10 years as businesses expand and baby-‐boom aged public

relations practitioners retire. So gaining the required competencies, skills

and knowledge now is critical to your future success. Pay particular attention

to Tables 3.4 and 4.12 on the importance of specific skills when being hired.

• Also note what senior practitioners said are missing when they are hiring

entry and junior level employees. There are three distinct areas of

competencies and skills that are generally missing that can be summarized

into: passion, professionalism and personality (p. 34). Understand where you

stand with respect to these items and seek to demonstrate or upgrade.

• Seek out a mentor, whether within the organization or through your local

professional associations. Don’t expect them to be your parent – proof -‐

reading your work or correcting your materials – but do expect them to be

honest and forthright in their advice and counsel. Grow and nurture this

relationship and find ways to recognize them and honour them for their time

and support.


• After reviewing this report, do an honest review and reflection on your

competencies, skills and knowledge – if you are lacking in any of the critical

areas, find college/university or industry sponsored professional

development programs to upgrade you abilities.

• Network, network and network some more – it is evident from this research

that those that are successful at the entry/junior level go on to have

wonderful experiences and careers in public relations/communications.

Always keep your ear-‐to-‐the-‐ground for new opportunities to showcase your

talents and expertise. Get involved in your local professional associations and

take on a leadership role to demonstrate to your employer your managerial

potential.

• Have patience – don’t expect to move from an entry/junior level to the

corner suite in the next year. The time in the trenches will serve you well

over the long term. There will be ample opportunity to move into a more

intermediate role, once you have demonstrated an ability to produce and

deliver excellent public relations advice and materials.

• Commit to life-‐long learning. The world continues to change at chaotic pace

and future leaders in the profession need to understand the opportunities

and challenges that come with that change. Seek out professional

development and graduate level educational programs that will give you the

requisite managerial and leadership skills to advance your career.


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