Location, Location, Location
To become a great publicist these days, you definitely want to consider living in a large market that is thriving and has many different types of brands and avenues represented. One must do the research before moving or looking in a money market city. Make sure that you can afford to live where the industry is.
Also, if you want to remain in a specific industry (i.e. “fashion, television,” etc.), you want to go where the big boys play and are specific to your industry. With the goal of either applying to work in-house for a firm or following their lead to other opportunities, those are some great decisions one has to make.
Volunteer or intern for a PR company that is established and represent well-known brands. Sometimes you will have to work for free, but doing that grunt work will leads you to great opportunities. You will be paid once you prove yourself.
If New York and Los Angeles aren’t ideal places to begin your PR career, technology has afforded you a major market to thrive. As a digital publicist, you can serve clients from across the globe in your own back yard. Be sure to invest in a P.O. Box if you are going to be moving around a lot and always make sure to know where the free Wi-Fi is if you are living on a tight budget.
While navigating your pool of opportunities, please remember that in the meantime you can find side projects on Odesk.com, Fiver.com and CreativeGroup.com. This works great if you need to make money fast. Make sure you have a PayPal account set up or a business bank account so you can get paid on time, quickly and easily.