5 struggles awaiting young PR pros

A career in PR is far less glamorous than newbies to the industry might believe.

Though many veteran communicators can tell you they love what they do, it’s still hard work. The PR industry that’s behind the scenes of successful product launches, executive interviews, millions of pages of content and even social media snafus runs mostly unseen to the common consumer—and it’s much different from what movies and TV shows portray.

Here are five struggles that both new and veteran PR pros face—along with a few tips on how newbies can stay the course:

1. Working late

You’ve finally arrived home from a client’s launch event and check your phone. It’s 2 a.m. and you still have to respond to tweets before getting in a few hours of sleep. Tomorrow at 7 a.m. is that brainstorming session, remember?

PR pros often work outside the 9-to-5 grind. It’s common to stay late at the office or take work home with you, especially if you have a looming client deadline or are wrapping up an important proposal.

Though many communicators love the fast-paced industry and solving daily challenges for their clients, take time for yourself—even if it’s a walk through a nearby park at lunch. Taking a break can decrease your risk of burning out. It can also help clear your mind so you can come up with more brilliant ideas.

2. Getting frustrated with co-workers

Someone on your team rewrote your introductory paragraph for the client presentation at 2 p.m.—with flawed grammar, no less—and when you find out who did it, heads will roll.

Working under tight deadlines, balancing client requests with achievable results and competing with other agencies to land big accounts is stressful. It becomes even more trying when those you work with aren’t on the same page or make costly mistakes.

You may not have the option of firing the offender, but you can agree to a few ground rules and set a structure that makes your expectations clear. Try these tips.

3. Coming up with ideas

You’re an hour into the fifth brainstorming session this week, and you’re starting to see why IHOP’s social media team thought its breast joke was funny or Bloomingdale’s went with that horrible ad copy.

PR pros are continually coming up with campaign ideas, tactics and content. Though the ability to be creative is a reason why many PR pros love the industry, the pressure of always coming up with the next great thing—especially when working with a difficult client—is draining.

Before you let your ideas fly, make sure you do your research. Knowing whom you’re targeting will point you to the messages your audience wants to hear, along with the platforms they frequent.

RELATED: Bring PR enlightenment to your team and become a hero.

4. Revising your work

“We like this, but can you make it more friendly?” a client asks, as you present your idea to her for the third time. “This feels too old school. How about something more fresh, something that pops?”

It can seem like all your hard work is for naught when your client—or boss—incessantly asks for corrections. This is especially hard if you’ve put in long hours perfecting your press release copy or designing the infographic, or if all you get are nebulous complaints.

Talk with your client or boss before the start of a project and make sure you have a good idea of what they want. If he or she doesn’t offer more than vague direction, set a limit on the number of revisions you’ll do. Otherwise, you can be stuck in an endless loop of busywork until his or her mind is made up.

5. Describing your career

“So, what do you do for work?” is beginning to set your teeth on edge, partially because it’s hard to explain all the facets of PR, marketing and/or social media, but also because your job title is either met with a quizzical look or a statement such as, “Oh, you play on Facebook all day.”

Many people don’t understand all the work that goes into landing coverage for a client or crafting a terrific piece of branded content that your fans love and share online. To add to the frustration, many people still believe that PR pros are glorified spin doctors—and shows like “Scandal” or “Sex and the City” can add to false beliefs.

Try sharing a recent example of a PR win or crafting an “elevator story” (like a pitch, but with pizzazz) to share. You can also use this as a guide the next time you have to explain your work in media relations, social media management or content marketing.

What other struggles can PR pros commiserate about?

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