Career Overview
People who have professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations are responsible for analyzing, developing and implementing communication and promotion strategies and information programs.
This occupational group also includes entertainment, literary, and sports agents.
People in this career group maintain media relations on behalf of businesses, governments and other organizations, as well as for performers, athletes, writers and other talented individuals.
Those who specialize in advertising, marketing and public relations:
- Analyze advertising needs
- Develop appropriate advertising and marketing plans
- Publicize activities and events
They may be self-employed or work for consulting firms, advertising agencies, corporations, associations, governments, social agencies, museums, galleries, public interest groups, and cultural and other organizations.
Duties
Specialists in advertising, marketing and public relations:
- Assess characteristics of products or services to be promoted and advise on the advertising needs of an establishment.
- Advise clients on advertising or sales promotion strategies.
- Develop and implement advertising campaigns appropriate for print or electronic media.
- Gather, research and prepare communications material for internal and external audiences.
- Develop, implement and evaluate communications strategies and programs designed to inform clients, employees and the general public of initiatives and policies of businesses, governments and other organizations.
- Conduct public opinion and attitude surveys to identify the interests and concerns of key groups served by their organization.
- Prepare or oversee preparation of reports, briefs, bibliographies, speeches, presentations, websites and press releases.
- Develop and organize workshops, meetings, ceremonies and other events for publicity, fundraising and information purposes.
- Prepare and deliver educational and publicity programs and informational materials to increase awareness of museums, galleries and other tourist attractions.
- Initiate and maintain contact with the media.
- Arrange interviews and news conferences.
- Act as spokesperson for an organization and answer written and oral inquiries.
- Co-ordinate special publicity events and promotions for internal and external audiences.
- Assist in the preparation of brochures, reports, newsletters and other material.
- Represent and act as an agent for talented individuals or individuals with specific occupational expertise.
- Prepare or oversee preparation of sports, literary, performance or other contracts.
Special duties
- Literary agents specialize in representing specific types of authors and writers.
- Performance agents specialize in representing specific singers, musicians, actors or other performers.
- Sports agents specialize in representing specific athletes or sports teams.
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
11,400% Employed Full Time
54%Work takes place in a conventional indoor setting.
Career Pathways
Progression to managerial positions in public relations, communications and fundraising is possible with additional training and experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Job Titles
Education, Training and Skills
- A university degree or college diploma in business marketing, public relations, communications, journalism, museology or a discipline related to a particular subject matter is usually required.
- Practitioners in public relations may require an APR (Accredited in Public Relations) designation.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Marketing
- Communication/Media Studies
- Journalism
- Public Relations
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
11,400Employment by Region
Region | Employment (2022) | % Employment of this Occupation |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | 100 | 1.1% |
Kootenay | 160 | 1.4% |
Mainland/Southwest | 10,740 | 76.6% |
North Coast and Nechako | 60 | 0.5% |
Northeast | 30 | 0.4% |
Thompson-Okanagan | 810 | 6.3% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 1,820 | 13.7% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)
5,380Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)
Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | 0 | 0.0% |
Kootenay | 50 | 0.6% |
Mainland/Southwest | 4,120 | 1.6% |
North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
Northeast | 0 | 2.9% |
Thompson-Okanagan | 350 | 1.8% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 790 | 1.7% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
Industry | Job Openings (2022-2032) |
---|---|
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 148,000 |
Information, Culture and Recreation | 57,300 |
Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 46,100 |
Educational Services | 64,500 |
Public Administration | 49,200 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.