The prospect of landing a career as a public relations executive may not be as glamorous as it seems. The profession, along with advertising account manager, was ranked as one of the most overrated jobs in a new report by job search site CareerCast.
The findings come as part of CareerCast’s annual “Most Overrated Jobs of 2016” report, which scores professions by factoring in U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers on growth outlook and pay, as well as variables such as workplace environment and stress.
 |
The report also relied on an informal reader survey, which included respondents’ dream jobs, as well as majors popular at U.S. colleges (as reported by U.S. News and World Report & The Princeton Review), in determining which low-rated jobs were currently popular among potential job seekers.
According to CareerCast online content editor Kyle Kensing, PR careers appeal to young job seekers, as evident by the current popularity of PR-related majors among college students. However, it’s also a job known for long hours and a stress-inducing environment (a common theme among jobs deemed “overrated”), which were among the reasons for its inclusion in the list.
“What the Jobs Rated report scores tell us is that PR executive is a high-stress job, due to the around-the-clock nature of the work and the unpredictability,” Kensing told O’Dwyer’s. “PR executives must also work heavily in the public eye; given an estimated three-quarters of Americans have a fear of public speaking, this contributes to the ‘overrated’ consideration commensurate to the field’s popularity with potential job seekers.”
PR executives earn a median annual salary of $104,140 and have a seven percent growth outlook through 2020, according to the report, scoring 121 on CareerCast’s 2016 jobs ranking. Advertising account managers earn $124,850 and have a growth outlook of nine percent, and was ranked 137.
Other professions to make CareerCast’s “overrated” list this year include author, event coordinator, photographer and stockbroker. A separate report published by CareerCast listed dietitian, environmental engineer, financial analyst, HR manager and physical therapist among “underrated” jobs: vocations that don’t receive as much attention as they might deserve.
This isn’t the first time the jobs site has put the public relations profession in the crosshairs. CareerCast last year also named PR manager among one of “the most overrated jobs of 2015,” along with ad account executive and event coordinator. A separate CareerCast report from 2015, however, listed PR manager as one of the best career choices for women.
Paradox Public Relations is lining up support for Ukrainian artists via a partnership with Art Shield, a nonprofit that preserves art in conflict zones.
InnoVision Marketing Group, a San Diego-based agency, is named AOR for the inaugural Native American Heritage Festival.
Personal reflections on the challenges of expanding a successful PR agency into new markets.
Coyne Public Relations will handle the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village in a partnership with Pride Live.
PR pros listed a lack of resources as a top priority at their jobs, and a majority reported little to no diversity in their company’s leadership, according to Muck Rack’s latest State of PR report.
