In the course of 16 years of running a corporate communications department (one that hired and fired agencies), and another 16 working in PR agencies (including the one I owned), I've thought about that question quite often. If you're a student in a PR program, or you're already working and considering your options, I hope you find this advice helpful.

1.Agencies are less glamorous than you've heard.

Last year in Toronto I was talking with a really nice, sweet, smart young high school girl about what she planned to do for a living. She said she was interested in public relations "because you get to meet a lot of famous and important people."

Bad idea. In one branch of PR - entertainment PR - you may someday meet Somebody Famous (or at least pass them backstage). Most of the time you will meet many people you never heard of. In public relations you will probably meet other people who are interesting, boring, smart, dumb, beautiful, homely, well known in their fields, or obscure. You will not meet Al Pacino, Bill Clinton or U2.

And while I'm on the subject of "special events", if you go into that field your job, for a number of years at least, will be making sure that the microphones work and that the hot dogs arrive on time. Somebody once said that the Mafia was like Hollywood: thousands of obscure little guys starving to death and waiting for their big chance, and a few big people making a mint.

2.Agencies are businesses. They need people who think like business people.

Whether you work for an agency, the Red Cross or BC Hydro, you'll be expected to know how to write a good news release. The difference is that the agency will expect you to write it faster and get it right faster, because it's selling your time against a fixed budget and if it takes you too long to get up the learning curve, the agency loses money.

I appreciate that many PR people who work for not-for-profits, government or big corporations understand what a bottom line is; they just don't think that their work has much impact on it. At an agency, your work has a lot to do with it. At BC Hydro, there are PR people, and there are "the troops" (the folks who run dams and power lines and make or break the organization). In a PR agency, we are the troops.

I really had to grin at a recent article which talked about public relations people enjoying weekend retreats, health club memberships and other perks. Not that agency people are starved or never enjoy any benefits…but the majority of PR agencies are small to medium-sized companies at best. If we want perks we have to earn them the hard way; there's no corporate sugar daddy or taxpayer to supply them.

If you're looking for a comfortable pew, where people will leave you alone while you spend months designing a logo or creating a cool website, or writing the perfect employee newsletter, you don't want a job at an agency. The pace is faster and there's far more need for every action to make business sense. (The upside is that the work is, often, much more varied and much more interesting).

3.In public relations there are three skill sets. Only at an agency will you need all of them.

The first is what I'll call "good PR tools". The ability to write clearly and compellingly. (Good spelling, good English, powerful composition). A burning desire to understand the workings of the bewilderingly complex world of politics, business and the media. A good grounding in history and the social sciences. A second language is nice.

Second, "people skills." An interest in, and understanding of, people. The ability to "read" a social situation shrewdly. Skill in building trust. A modicum of charm. Self-confidence that verges on, but doesn't tip over the edge of, cockiness. The ability to be a leader and a team member, as appropriate.

Third, "business skills." An understanding of commerce and the needs of the enterprise. The ability to read a P&L statement. A passionate interest in businesses and what makes them tick.

To succeed in corporate, government or NFP public relations, you'll need the first two. To succeed and be happy in an agency you'll need all three.

4.So who should try for a job at a PR agency, anyway?

For those suited to the life, working at a PR agency can be tremendously stimulating and a very good career. (Or, if you only stay four or five years, an excellent training ground). Why?

Because "PR agency" is to "public relations work" what "extreme skiing" is to "doing the expert run."

You should consider a PR agency (and any good agency hiring person will consider you) if you can answer "yes" to at least six of the following eight questions:

• Do you have a low threshold of boredom?
• Do you have the kind of sense of humor that will help you cope with the ups and downs, contradictions and absurdities of the world?
• Can you always see at least two sides to every question - and could you convincingly argue either one of them if you had to?
• Do you want to work (at least some of the time) on the most truly fascinating events and situations that confront organizations - restructurings, corporate makeovers, new products and services, maddeningly complex and controversial issues, corporate crises?
• Are you a creative, problem-solving kind of person?
• Are you good at sizing up people and situations quickly?
• Are you self-confident, unafraid of authority, willing and able to speak and write convincingly?
• Do you have a passionate need to know why?

There used to be a famous recruitment ad for the U.S. Marines which began, "Wanted: a few good men interested in extreme danger, long hours, bad food, biting insects and appalling working conditions."

Many people taking PR courses are not suited to PR agency work and won't be happy or successful there. This letter is addressed to the others, the people who might respond positively to a PR agency recruitment ad something like this:

"If your blood races with the thought of applying all your knowledge and judgment under pressure; if you prefer challenge to security; if you enjoy the excitement and sense of danger that comes with grappling with the toughest communication challenges; if you want to be the best, work with the best and compete against the best come and talk to us."

John J. Barr