People interested in pursuing a career in public relations have the option of specializing in many different areas, such as these:

• Sports: These individuals are in charge of promoting different sports teams or sports professionals to gain exposure and increase their  fan base.
• Fashion: These individuals work to promote fashion magazines, designers, models, brands, and clothing lines to the public.
• Business: These individuals work to promote different businesses and the products that they offer.

• Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, or Communications: 4 years to complete

In order to pursue a career in public relations, students should obtain a bachelor's degree in either journalism, communications, public relations, or marketing. This will take about four years to complete, and it will provide students with the foundation that they will need to succeed in this industry. During their bachelor's degree, students must complete at least one public relations internship in order to gain some hands-on experience. Students will gain very valuable work experience during the internship, which could possibly even turn into a full-time job after graduation.

Once public relations students have graduated from an accredited program and completed their internship, they are able to apply for jobs in the field. Although there are voluntary certification options available to graduates, certification is not usually required to get a job. Some types of certification program can only be completed after the student has had at least five years on the job.

Students can take the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations, which is given by the Universal Accreditation Board; but in order to take the exam, applicants must be a member of the Public Relations Society of America. Certification requires a bachelor's degree, five years of work experience, passing the exam, a portfolio review, and an interview with a three-member panel. (BLS)

According to a 2008 Bureau of Labor Statistics study, public relations specialists earned an average salary of $51,280, with the middle range earning approximately $38K-$71K. The highest 10 percent were paid more than $97K, and the lowest 10 percent were paid less than $30K. Management professionals in private companies earned the most, followed by professionals in business and labor organizations, advertising, government, and academic institutions. (BLS)

Job prospects appear good, as the public relations industry is expected to grow an additional 24 percent throughout the decade of 2008-2018; applicants should expect a high level of competition among entry-level jobs, however. Students who have advanced degrees, have completed internships, and are able to speak multiple languages have the best job outlook in this field. The reason for the extreme growth in this industry is due to the emergence of social media and the impact that has had on practically every industry. Many firms are using this to expand the tools that they use on a daily basis. (BLS)

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers put together different marketing strategies for their clients in order to promote them. They must take many things into consideration such as price, product development, advertising, sales, and promotion. These promotions can be done through many different mediums such as television, radio, Internet, and magazines.

Demonstrators and product promoters are responsible for creating public interest in different products. They must demonstrate how the products are used and market them in a way that increases sales. Sometimes this is done in a public place where customers can buy products immediately, while other times it is done more privately or remotely.

Market and survey researchers gather information about what people think about certain products or services. This helps companies develop their advertising campaigns and improve their products to suit their customers' needs. This can be accomplished through surveys and focus groups.

News analysts, reporters, and correspondents gather information and report on about current events in different communities. They must investigate and observe different stories to get the perfect angle; then, the stories must be reported to the public through the news.

Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives play a very important role in the wholesale success of many different companies. The main responsibility of these individuals is to get prospective clients interested in the product they are selling, create public interest, and make sales.