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| Mary Catherine Banister |
Family events. High school reunions. Catching up with
college friends. These are times that, in the post-graduate world, give many
people (some who you probably haven’t seen in a while) the opportunity to ask
you lots of questions. About everything. You know what I’m talking about? I
thought so.
Now, being a recent college graduate with an exciting new
career, I would expect to be asked plenty of questions about my job by those
family members and friends who are interested in keeping up with my activities.
I would obviously be prepared to answer their questions, but recently I got to
thinking…do my family members even remotely, kinda-sorta understand what I do
for a living?
So, I did an experiment. I emailed my mom, dad, grandmother
and two younger brothers with the question of all questions: “What do you think
I do at work?” And, even better, “What do you think public relations is?”
My parents had a solid understanding of my job (probably
because I talk to them about it every day). They chalked it up to me spending
my time promoting a company’s brand or image to the public and working with
traditional and social media. They were also spot-on regarding how much of my
time I spend writing.
One of my brothers – the one who bothered to respond (Thanks,
Will!) – had more of a “Mad Men” view of what I do as a PR practitioner. He
thinks that I work with various accounts to make sure they are all happy with
their public image. Not bad!
My wonderful 91-year-old grandmother gave me some great
insight, as well. She told me that her thoughts about what I do encompass many
areas – computer skills, paperwork, sales, event planning, working with TV and
radio, producing websites, writing and acting as “a connection between people
and companies.” She even touched on the importance of brainstorming and
research! On the surface level, she was 100 percent correct.
So, my immediate family has a decent grasp on what my job
entails. However, what would I tell my extended family about the work that I,
and my fellow PR professionals, do (and do well)? Would I leave it at the
surface, the level that my parents and siblings know and understand? Or do I
explain the importance of strategy and planning and the meticulous way we do
research, develop tactics and follow up with the media?
It can be tough to explain our jobs in a way that everybody
can fully grasp. The fact that we have clients from all industries, with
varying goals and objectives, makes every work day different from the last. But
to me, that’s what makes PR fun! So, do what you do best, and craft a little PR
pitch to explain your work to everyone who stops you at your next class reunion
or sits near you at family dinner. Let them know that what you do is important,
and there’s no doubt that they will be impressed!
