Why Public Relations is a Great Industry for All Genders

It is hard to ignore the dwindling amount of men within the public relations field. What once was a male industry has transformed in to a business primarily consisting of females. According to the PRSA salary survey, 70% of public relations practitioners are women.

During the spring 2011 semester, I participated in an independent project with Dr. Donnalyn Pompper studying the opinions of male professionals in the field. After 15 interviews and four focus groups, I gained a lot of knowledge about how men in the business felt, but I was still curious why male students were choosing the industry.

Although the majority gender in the business has been the female sex, many of the males I interviewed highly recommended a job in public relations. They suggested the profession claiming it allowed one to practice communication in any interest area. If one enjoyed movies or food, there were jobs in public relations supporting those interests.

“What really attracted me to public relations was the ability to work in a variety of different industries,” said Evan Galusha.

Listening to the opinions of two male juniors in Temple University’s public relations department, Galusha and Jacob DeChant, I realized I was interested in public relations for the same reasons they stated. I have always had an eclectic mix of hobbies, such as technology and music, and I felt public relations would allow me to participate in those different departments throughout my career.

“I feel the great part of public relations is thinking about all the fun things you can do with it,” said DeChant.

The mainstream images, such as Samantha from Sex and the City, project public relations as a glitzy industry, ignoring the diversity of the field. Although public relations seems unappealing to many males, I feel it is a profession with a lot to offer, no matter what gender you are. There are few jobs that allow you to switch from nonprofit to corporate work.

Despite being a minority in this industry, I look forward to the future experiences public relations has to offer. Regardless of gender, this is a great profession to express your creativity and support your interests. It is the type of job that will leave you feeling gratified at the end of the day.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Nick Stackhouse.