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Don’t be content with simply landing a job in the publicity field—avail yourself of every resource available to you to hone your craft and continue advancing. Accept challenging projects graciously, form beneficial connections with as many industry heavy-hitters as you can and always look for new ways to make your work stand out. Where you end up depends entirely on how willing you are to keep learning new things. Periodically attending workshops and seminars can give you fresh ideas and motivation to stay at the top of your game. When engaged in public relations work, you need to know how to present compelling addresses and written materials that frame your client in the best possible light. This falls under the heading of rhetoric (the art of being convincing through language) and it is arguably the most essential skill any publicist or marketing specialist should possess. Even when you’re not actively trying to convince the public of any one particular fact, every strategy should be formulated as though you were making a logically-supported, directed appeal. Your credibility as a public relations expert will be assured with an understanding of the central tenets of rhetorical discourse.  Use the “rhetorical triangle” model to structure your statements and press releases: understand the relationship between yourself (the presenter), the audience and the context of an argument. This will help ensure that argument takes hold in the minds of your audience.  Always have a clear goal in mind whenever you begin a project, no matter how minor or routine. The language of your press materials should be centered around this goal. A good deal of public relations work involves taking negative or confusing circumstances and recasting them in a positive light. This requires you to be able to call upon your creative faculties and make them a well-worn tool in your arsenal. Study the habits of creative people, take notice of even the smallest details and learn to improvise. The better you are at thinking up ways to elevate your client in the public eye, the more status you’ll gain in your profession.  Try incorporating brief creative mental exercises into your daily routine, such as concocting fictional histories for people and places you’ve never seen before, or highlighting one word per line in a newspaper column to tell a short story. The term “spin” deals with changing the appearance of circumstantial details to preserve one’s reputation, not fabricating those details. You should never lie or alter the facts in order to make your client look better. As a publicist, you haven’t done your job unless you’ve enhanced the visibility, demand and public approval of your client. For this reason, how well you yourself do is primarily a matter of what you’re able to accomplish for the people you serve. Though you may sometimes be called upon to speak on behalf of your client or act as a mouthpiece for a publicity campaign, much of your work will be done behind the scenes and will help inform the actions of your clientele. Every evolving situation, good or bad, should be viewed as an opportunity to improve your client’s standing. Work closely with the client or their manager or agent to devise guided and effective PR strategies.
Constantly improve your skills. Become adept at rhetorical arguments. Practice creative exercises. Have the best interest of the client in mind.