Choosing a major in college can be stressful. Having to make that one decision that will define your next 
four years and your career is overwhelming.
However, if you’re interested in entering into the business world but want to contribute in a creative way, consider majoring in public relations.
Here are five reasons PR may just be your perfect fit.
You love building relationships
Public relations is defined as, “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics” (PRSA 2017).
The most common example of these relationships is between a company and its customers. However, public ‘relationships’ stretch to journalists, stakeholders, shareholders and even employees.
If you’re the type of person that likes to foster relationships and values open communication, then public relations is the right pick for you.
Writing is second nature
What most people don’t realize is that public relations is centered on writing. PR practitioners write press releases, media advisories and pitches daily to journalists.
These pieces have a journalistic tone so that newspapers will pick up stories. However, the challenge in this writing is making it newsworthy without sounding like a promotion.
PR writing also includes blogging, which allows for more creativity, and social media posts, which requires strategic writing and messaging.
If typing up stories all day doesn’t sound like your bread and butter, PR may not be the major for you. However, if the idea of creating messages excites you, then brush up on your AP style and join the world of media writing.
Interactive coursework
As PR majors get further along with their schooling and into higher level classes, the coursework becomes interactive.
Very rarely do teachers simply lecture and test students. Instead, they assign projects with real clients which allows students to apply what they learn in class while also adding to their portfolio.
Examples of these classes include Multimedia Writing for PR, PR Case Studies, Survey Research, Style and Design and PR Campaigns.
Internships prepare you
Nervous about getting work experience? No worries!
All public relations majors are required to have an internship before graduating. This allows them to gain real-life experience while also starting to create a web of contacts before graduation.
The best part about these internships is that to qualify for course credit, the program has to prove it actively strengthens students’ PR skills.
Therefore, the day to day intern work won’t be the typical coffee runs and office cleaning. Instead, PR students can learn and contribute to the workings of the firm or company.
Multiple career possibilities
Once PR majors graduate and enter into the workforce, they is no limit to career options. The two main avenues that most PR practitioners enter into include firms and corporate.
Firms are high pace and allow PR practitioners to grow quickly because they get exposed to a large number of clients. Corporate jobs are more steady and allow communicators to invest in one client while growing the brand over time.
While these are the most common, PR practitioners can become event planners, media relations experts, marketers or social media managers. Any job that requires strong writing skills and great relationship building matches perfectly with PR majors.
Do these topics make you want to learn more about the major? If so, visit Auburn’s College of Liberal Art’s website.