Being a PR executive is stressful... So what?

I am sure many of you have read the Forbes article regarding the list of the "most stressful jobs of 2013". Undoubtedly, some of you were probably surprised to see Public Relations Executive as number 5 on the list. I know I was when I first saw Marist PRSSA's tweet with link. Others professions which made the cut were military professionals, police officers, firefighters, and taxi drivers.

In order to calculate the list, Careercast compiled a list of the 200 professions in its database and honed in on eleven different job demands which are often culprits for causing stress. These demands included travel, competitiveness, working in the public eye, deadlines, and physical demands. 

The article claims itself that PR executive may come as a surprise to some, but has evidence to back up why it made the cut. Forbes brings up the common misconception people have that PR professionals all live glamorous lives and attend lots of parties. Although this may be true in some cases, this merely scratches the surface.  Forbes then goes on to say that PR professionals deal with animosity and rejection on a daily basis, making it a very stressful job.

Ultimately, I found the article extremely enlightening and well composed. It had to be difficult to compile the list due to the sheer multitude of professions, but I feel that both Careercast and Forbes did a great job in providing evidence to demonstrate how and why they came to certain conclusions. 

The only thing I did not like about the article, however, was the last paragraph. This, to me,  suggested that perhaps young people should look for a different career if they could not handle high levels of stress:

I feel that ultimately, no matter what the career, a person has aspirations and a compiled list of the most stressful jobs should not adhere anyone from accomplishing their lifelong dream. The road may not be easy, but if you love what you do, that does not necessarily matter.

Additionally, this article lead me to reflect on my academic experience at Marist thus far.I work with and take classes alongside all of you PR majors and I know just how motivated and organized we all are. Although we may get made fun of from time to time for being "com majors", we all know how hard everyone works and how we all push each other to be better. 

It has been made rather clear that our future careers will be both difficult and rewarding. It will not be easy, but I am ready to rise to the occasion and work hard to make a difference in the PR world. I am also confident many of you feel the same way and that is a significant and beautiful realization for us all to reflect on.