Lessons for Success in the Fifth Most Stressful Job of 2013

According to Forbes, Public Relations Executive earned the distinction of being the fifth most stressful job of 2013 – just behind Enlisted Military Personnel (1), Military General (2), Firefighter (3), and Commercial Airline Pilot (4), and beating the likes of Senior Corporate Executive (5), Taxi Driver (9) and Police Officer (10). It’s not the first time that Public Relations has been called out for being a stressful occupation, and those within this profession will attest to the inherent challenges that come with the turf.

The Forbes article notes that this finding might be surprising, suggesting that “…many people may picture PR execs wining and dining and taking lunch with friends and connections around town,” but goes on to point out that “in fact they [PR execs] face almost constant rejection” and that “PR clients are never satisfied.”

While this all may be true, as a PR practitioner of more than 20 years – and despite having earned both battle scars and stripes during this tenure – I suggest that attitude is everything and that successful PR professionals have the mental toughness, tenacity and positivity to survive and thrive within such a stressful work environment.

I recently came across a quote attributed to famed college football coach Lou Holtz that illustrates this point, “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”

Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

In Public Relations, as in life, attitude is everything. Despite all the daily stressors and pressures we face as PR professionals, those who thrive in this environment embrace challenges and maintain a positive attitude – always striving to hit it out of the ball park and finding creative solutions in order to excel in an ever-changing professional landscape.

Need a team of creative optimists to manage your Public Relations needs? Contact Domus and see how we inject positivity into our daily work to help our clients succeed.

Amy Whilldin is Vice President of Public Relations at Domus, Inc., a marketing communications agency based in Philadelphia. For more information, visit http://www.domusinc.com. For new business inquiries, please contact CEO and founder of Domus, Inc. Betty Tuppeny at betty.tuppeny@domusinc.com or 215-772-2805.