Interview Questions for Public Relations

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The kind of candidate that a PR agency looks for is a confident, people person with great communication skills who's an all round media junkie. Talk about your passion for multimedia such as newspapers (all of them, even the tabloids), magazines, TV, radio, websites, social media and blogs. You want to be giving off the impression of someone who is very involved not just professionally but on a personal level as well. Talk about your experiences that relate to the fast paced atmosphere of working in PR. Are you a good communicator? You need to prove this with every answer you give by delivering it in an enthusiastic, composed and confident manner. Don't waffle, a shorter more well crafted answer that's to the point is much more effective than a stretched one where your point can become vague.

This kind of question is used to test how much you actually know about PR and its place in business so make sure you have done your research otherwise it will really show. PR is the process of assessing public attitudes, identifying the needs of an individual or an organization, before planning and carrying out actions to earn public acceptance and respect. With this definition understood it's easy to see how important it is for say; a company in the public eye or a celebrity launching a new product. With good PR you can change opinion, sell more products or get more people to listen or respect you by indirectly creating a positive image within the public. Use an example of a current news story where you have seen PR used successfully and unsuccessfully and perhaps make suggestions on what you might have done to counteract this in a similar situation. The interviewer will be looking for you to be picking up on detail that the average person would absorb passively and relaying back as a reason why it's important.

These two industries are very different even though they're commonly confused as being one and the same. The purpose of advertising is to create awareness about products or services in order to make a sale. It's a one way, paid for communication. The purpose of PR is to create and enhance the reputation of any company or individual. It's a two way communication that's real content. Use examples of the two to explain to your interviewer that you understand the difference. The answer to this question doesn't have to be long. It's more important to be clear and accurate.