FROM BUZZFEED:
Working In Public Relations: Expectations Vs Reality
HOW IS IT 5 P.M. ALREADY?!?
by Lara Parker
posted on
Expectation: You will have a 9-5 job with the occasional late meeting or phone call.
Reality: Your client has a crisis at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night and you’re expected to handle it. No one cares if it’s your significant other’s birthday.
Reality: Your client has a crisis at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night and you’re expected to handle it. No one cares if it’s your significant other’s birthday.
Expectation: At the beginning of each day you will make a to-do list and accomplish most of it by the end of the day.
Reality: Your to-do list is 4 pages long and you couldn’t work on any of it today because your client wanted to rethink the game plan.
Reality: Your to-do list is 4 pages long and you couldn’t work on any of it today because your client wanted to rethink the game plan.
Expectation: When your client throws a fantastic party you will be able to go and enjoy the event you worked so hard on.
Reality: You just spent 4 weeks calling media to schedule stop-by’s. Now you’re at the event handing people cake.
Reality: You just spent 4 weeks calling media to schedule stop-by’s. Now you’re at the event handing people cake.
Expectation: You are really good at handling criticism. You prepared yourself for it.
Reality: When that editor told you that your pitch was pathetic and to remove him from any and all lists you felt like you might tear up. But you worked SO HARD!
Reality: When that editor told you that your pitch was pathetic and to remove him from any and all lists you felt like you might tear up. But you worked SO HARD!
Expectation: By the end of the day you’re so exhausted you’ll be ready for bed and have the most peaceful sleep.
Reality: You woke up 8 times because you thought you heard your email alert.
Reality: You woke up 8 times because you thought you heard your email alert.
Expectation: You worked with this journalist once before so he will be receptive when you phone pitch him this afternoon.
Reality: Hung up on you.
Reality: Hung up on you.
Expectation: You’ll only occasionally need to work extra on the weekends.
Reality: You totally do work on the weekends if only to save yourself extra stress come Monday morning.
Reality: You totally do work on the weekends if only to save yourself extra stress come Monday morning.
Expectation: If you make extra pasta tonight you will be able to take yummy leftovers to work tomorrow!
Reality: It’s 3 p.m. and you just realized you didn’t stop to eat lunch.
Reality: It’s 3 p.m. and you just realized you didn’t stop to eat lunch.
Expectation: You will limit yourself to one cup of coffee, first thing in the morning.
Reality: 4 cups and counting.
Reality: 4 cups and counting.
And finally… Expectation: You will enjoy your job.
Reality: You can’t imagine doing anything else. At the end of the day, getting that piece in the Wall Street Journal makes it all worth it.
Reality: You can’t imagine doing anything else. At the end of the day, getting that piece in the Wall Street Journal makes it all worth it.
