There is a certain serenity involved in having a profession where your entire purpose is to present people at their best. The positive energy generated by the people who work in Public Relations is infectious, and our next guest is no different.

Please introduce yourself to our readers:

Hi! My name is Alison May.

Can you tell us what company you work for?

I own Alison May Public Relations. We are a boutique public relations firm located in New England.

What is your title there?

I am the owner.

What are the exact responsibilities of your job?

My job is to generate and manage publicity for my clients. I develop PR strategies, campaigns, and initiatives to improve pubic perception of their company and brand. In addition, I make sure they are prepared for interviews through media training. From pitching clients to the press to handling crisis communications, it’s never a dull day in the world of public relations.

What is it about your job that makes you love it?

When I get the call from the media that they want to do a story on my client. A lot of hard work goes into pitching their story and to get press coverage is just such a great feeling!

What particular skills or talents are most essential to completing your tasks?

As a former journalist, I am deadline driven. It has been engrained in me since I was 20 years old, so I always set deadlines and NEVER miss them. I also know what the media would like for a story so it’s a lot easier to pitch to them when you know exactly what they are looking for and need.

What level of education would you say is required to perform your role?

A Bachelor’s degree is essential. I am also a big supporter of internships. I believe that you learn the most when you are on the job. I urge everyone to do at least one internship!

Do you find that you bring your work home with you? (And is that a good or bad thing?)

As the owner of the company, I do bring work home with me. It just comes with the territory. I love that I have the ability to create my schedule. So if I want to go to my daughter’s soccer game then I just have to work when she goes to bed. The hard thing for me is turning work off…I’m still working on that!

How does this job compare to other jobs you’ve held in the past?

This is by far the best job that I’ve ever had, since I was a television reporter. I get to have the best of both worlds. I can still work with the media, be in front of the camera for my video blogs, tell stories through video and I can garner news coverage for my clients. Being a business owner, I can pick my clients. I make my own hours. And, I can have a glass of wine at 3pm while writing my blog outside. If that is not a perfect job, I don’t know what is.

What is your favorite food?

That’s a tough one…I like to eat so I have a couple. Lobster, sushi, fattoush salad and chocolate! If I had to pick one, I would say Lobster.

Thanks for sharing, Alison! Be sure to find her on Twitter.