Sometimes when I tell people I work in PR, they mistake me for a publicist. They think I go to parties and big events and shmooze famous people all day. I can sense their disappointment when I tell them a publicist is a different kind of PR and that I do corporate PR. I have to explain that I don't go to parties all the time, in fact, I usually don't go anywhere at all unless it's a trade show which I do not consider a party in any way, shape or form. And instead of shmoozing famous people, I schmooze reporters and editors. Who, by the way, are famous to me. I would love to meet David Pogue from The New York Times some day.
So yesterday, I got to hang out with a real life publicist of a real life famous person, and you know what? Her job isn't so glamorous.
My women's fashion & lifestyle magazine client had a photo shoot in LA yesterday to shoot the cover of our upcoming spring issue. The celebrity cover girl was there along with her publicist. Can I say uptight? We are all pretty chill as far as those of us on the magazine side go, even our cover girl was chill, but the publicist! She was constantly pacing the room, checking her BlackBerry, tapping her toes, tugging at her hair, taking calls, announcing they were going to be late for this and that ...
Ok, ok, she was just doing her job. I don't want to belittle any publicists reading this. But the point is, why does everyone think being a publicist is so glamorous? The PR that I do is worthwhile, too! And hey, I got to meet and interview a celebrity for the first time ever, and that was pretty cool!
It's funny how sometimes you think the grass is greener, or how other people's perceptions of what you do is not as interesting as it's all talked up to be; it can make you feel down about your job. Or, on the flip side, maybe you think your job is really something, but you have a hard time explaining what it is that you do?
I feel like this post is just kind of rambling, sorry, but ever since I started working from home it's been interesting how much thought I've put into how to describe precisely what I do now to people in a way that sounds impressive. It makes me feel so vain, ugh.
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7 comments:
I guess its kinda like being a celeb, sometimes their life isn't as awesome as we think it is!
I never thought it was fabulous. Every job has its ups and downs
You see bankers splashing $500 on a dinner, and you think: wow! what a life!
But in reality, they're trying to unload some steam as fast as possible because they have NO life outside of the office.
Same with PR -- I think it'd get very tiring after a while, going to those parties, having to smile, wear high heels, schmooze.. drink..
Not my thing.
Oh my gosh, I recently wrote about this very topic! Only, I focused more on how much I hate the dreaded, "What do YOU do?" question because I'm unemployed. Anyway, I know what you're saying. Even though I have met and interviewed a bijillion celebs, I never think that my career is as cool or exciting as the next person...and this feeling has become increasingly worse since I lost my job last year.
http://www.firednfabulous.blogspot.com/
If it's any consolation, I was a media buyer for nearly three years and all of about ten people in the world know what that is. It was only when I explained on the A-list client's who commercial's I placed that it garnered any positive response... I am trying to get into PR (agency/corporate) so from someone who knows what you do, let me just say I am impressed and your work does make a difference so don't let stereotypes get you down. Also, I totally agree - being a publicist does sound like a less than desirable job.
I am a real estate agent, and everyone I meet is like "I watch HGTV and real estate looks like so much FUN!" People also think I make a lot of money for hardly any work. WRONG. If you take all the hours I spend on a transaction, I make less than minimum wage(most the time). There are definitely aspects of RE that are fun and exciting, but lots and lots of paper work, cleaning, and questions. No one else is going to clean up that dog poo on the floor before your showing so you better grab some paper towels and Febreze.
they're trying to unload some steam as fast as possible because they have NO life outside of the office.
data entry work from home
Just received a check for $500.
Sometimes people don't believe me when I tell them about how much money you can make by taking paid surveys online...
So I took a video of myself getting paid over $500 for taking paid surveys.
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