Online Public Relations Course Offers Career Skills

This self-paced public relations course provides both a solid grounding in public relations skills and strategies and career skills tailored to student needs.

Portland, Ore. -- March 11, 2002 -- Career changers, freelancers and college students interested in public relations can now learn the basics through a self-paced course titled PR Essentials, available through The PR Academy (www.learnpr.com).

PR Essentials is a 12-lesson course that offers training and practical application of public relations strategies and tactics such as media relations, Internet PR, conducting market surveys, coaching public speaking, competitive research techniques, event planning and crisis management.

PR Essentials is available in three versions. Each offers a solid grounding in public relations and career skills tailored to each groups needs.

PR Essentials: Career Launcher is designed for students and recent grads who may or may not have had academic training in public relations and need assistance landing that first job. The course includes job search and employment strategies.

PR Essentials: Career Advancement Edition is for employees desiring a career change to public relations, or for those whove been thrust into a PR role for their companies with no prior training. The course includes career advancement strategies.

PR Essentials: Freelance Edition is for freelancers who would like to add public relations to their service offerings. The course includes business-building strategies.

In addition to a user-friendly manual complete with lessons, assignments, case studies and career strategies, students also receive a CD with more than 20 samples and templates of public relations documents: press releases, PR plans, white papers, media alerts, backgrounders, etc. Course instructors evaluate student assignments and provide feedback by e-mail. A public relations certificate is available to graduates of the course.

"With PR Essentials, we combine practical application with real-life examples and case histories to illustrate key points," said Yvonne Buchanan, co-founder, and a course instructor. The course is comprehensive but its presented in a user-friendly, completely approachable format. Even those new to PR should have no difficulty grasping the concepts."

Enrollment in PR Essentials is $197 and may be accomplished through The PR Academy web site at www.learnrp.com, or by mail or fax.

The PR Academy (www.learnpr.com) is a Web-based professional development institution that provides public relations instruction and career skills to students, freelancers and career changers. Course instructors are veterans in the public relations field. The PR Academy is wholly owned by Real-World PR (www.realworldpr.com).

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