I always find myself flipping, rather enthusiastically, to Communicate's @loggerheads feature each month to devour what industry issue is served up to debate amongst two PR practitioners via email correspondence.
My appetite began to feel quite suppressed as I read last month's topic of debate: "Do PR qualifications have any real value? Or is on-the-job learning the only worthwhile form of educations?"
As I, and quite a number of others I know, am currently enrolled in postgraduate studies in PR/communications, this could be hard to swallow...
The PR practitioners chosen to participate in the debate are Matt Stewart, associate director at Bite Communications and Kevin Taylor, president of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).
Some interesting bites from their debate:
- "I wonder whether PR graduates knock on the doors of agencies or in-house PR teams through consequence, and not self-motivated design." - Matt Stewart
- "PR is a strategic business function with its own specific skill set and knowledge base. So while you can't beat experience, some things are better learnt from a base of formal instruction, guidance and acquire knowledge." - Kevin Taylor
- "Communications remains more art than science...PR may sometimes be textbook material or something a lecturer could teach, but a good PR practitioner will require considerably more than to have read the requisite pages of a book or attended a certain lecture." - Matt Stewart
- "PR degrees and qualifications are vital to our future. They underpin the industry's professionalism. In turn valuing PR degrees too lightly undermines our credibility as a profession." - Kevin Taylor
Read the entire debate here.
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Being a current student of PR studies, I have to agree more with Kevin's argument (am I so predictable?), but I also cannot stress the importance of having on-the-job industry experience to act as counter balance.
PR has been and will continue to be a fast evolving industry and it's not just in the development of newer channels of communication, but also in its establishment as a recognized profession.
More and more educational institutions are offering PR and/or corporate communication programs and courses - this can't be a sign that PR agencies and in-house PR teams aren't interested in hiring those with formalised education in PR.
It would be safe to assume that many communication pros in executive or managerial positions do not hold PR-specific qualifications or have educational backgrounds in PR, but this is fast changing in the new generation of communicators.
Why else would associations like CIPR be offering an impressive list of training workshops in topics ranging from "Introduction to PR" to "Writing for the Press"?
I would like to think that I, like other forward-thinkers, am preparing for a serious career in communications and it's something that I feel passionate about. It won't be a job that I "one day found myself in by accident since I studied something obscure like Robin Hood Studies* **."
Any thoughts?
* Actually a legit program at Nottingham University - MA in Robin Hood Studies
** This is not me taking the piss at anyone who chooses to do this MA, frankly I think it's quite cool!
Photo courtesy of Lowry Lou
6 comments:
I find this blog really interesting. I think there has to be an equilibrium between academic and practical learning. I feel some academic ground work has to be laid, however the rest of your career within communications is definitely based of your determination, creativity and personality. The latter being difficult to change.
I agree with the above comment by Gigi. But I also think it is true of many professions that, in the end, it comes down to an individual's personality how far they advance. I think an education in PR will help us have a good grounding and make it easier for us to gain the experience we need...or so I hope!
@ Gigi and KJLogue: Thanks for your insight. I think it'll definitely be interesting to see how our qualifications will play out in our careers as PR professionals in the future.
If we want an established PR industry, we need education. I am not saying that it is the only thing we need. Of course talent plays an important role, but imagine a chemist full of talent, but not educated enough. Instead of discovering the alternative source of energy, ends up in blowing up the lab :)) It is an extreme example, but PR is after all a social SCIENCE (from latin: Knowledge)
I totally agree with Mr Taylor's approach but having in mind that there are always exceptions!
In all professions, where is not required a specialized technical knowledge (e.g. engineer), a person its better to combine experience with college education. As PR field is becoming a more recognised discipline, there are many institutions that offer specialised programs on PR or Communication.
An alternative could be a degree on advertising, journalism, psychology, political science or sociology; humanistic disciplines that promote broad way of thinking and a more social-oriented approach of things.
But there are also some attributes necessary for a successful career that although they are further cultivated during the college years, are initially part of a person's personality (e.g. good listening and persuation skills, coordination, multitasking, social and service oriented character).
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