This week CareerCast announced its "2011 Most Stressful Jobs" list. Public Relations officer is ranked at number two, surpassed only by commercial airline pilots. 

Many PR officers are practically synonymous with OCD and a Type-A personality. However, there are Type-B personalities and other quirks that would help a person succeed as a PR professional.

Here are 11 signs that you should work in PR:

1. Your day starts and ends with a cup of coffee.
2. You can power-walk in 5-inch heels with your laptop bag while checking your BlackBerry.
3. Inside jokes with your colleagues will get you through the day - especially the insanely stressful ones.
4. You constantly engage in "PR is dead" and "the press release doesn't have a place in business" arguments.
5. You are so used to putting the client first that you usually forget to eat lunch.
6. It's detrimental to your health and workday when you forget your headphones.
7. You can toggle among a PowerPoint presentation, a press release, Twitter strategy and PSA outlines - all in an hour.
8. You recite billing codes in your sleep.
9. You preface Happy Hour with: "Sorry, I need to keep my phone on the table. I have to be connected to email and phone just in case."
10. You know more about AP style than Microsoft Office.
11. You proudly put "PR pro" in your Twitter bio, knowing it's the one place you don't have to explain your job.

If you can say you've done these things, you just might be destined for PR! 

Adapted from Lauren Fernandez's "11 signs you work in public relations" April 25 post on PR Daily.

Body language can speak just as loudly as your words. According to Patti Wood, a nationally acclaimed speaker, trainer and author on nonverbal communication, body language is especially important when giving a first impression - it can take up to six months to change a poor first impression, which can be bad for business.

Handshakes andhow you use the space around the body usually reflects power. According to Wood, hands, eyes and the throat areas serve as "body windows." These windows communicate in different ways:

• Guarding the mouth - covering the mouth often conveys we are suppressing a negative thought or trying to keep the truth from coming out.
• Holding - we may hold our hands together or grip our arms in a self-hug to give ourselves the emotional security we got from holding our parents' hands as children.
• Touching the temple - often used when we are confused; the temple is the "on" button for the brain.
• Grimacing - when someone is suspicious or doubtful about what is being said they may grimace and exhale through clenched teeth or give a tight smile.
• Smiling, tilting and blinking - these signal interest in what is being said; the overall posture will be up and attentive as well.

Wood also mentions that imitating posture and nonverbal cues can establish rapport and influence others. Being aware of body language can improve your first impressions and be alert to the attitudes of those around you.

Adapted from Diane Weidner's "The Meaning Behind Body Language," in the February 2011 IR Update.

Client News 

Badger Meter and Marquette University both brought home awards this month from the BMA Bell Awards! The Annual Report Bell Award went to Marquette University's President's Report, which was written in part by Marilyn Vollrath, and the Badger Meter 2009 Annual Report took home the Annual Report Excellence Award.

The BMA Bell Awards is a chance for marketers to submit their best work for review and recognition throughout the industry.

A panel of judges from corporate advertising management and agencies from all over the country are appointed. The entries are judged based on how well the stated objectives were accomplished and include an assessment of communications strategy and creative/production values.

The entries are scored in four different divisions: creativity, production, selling proposition and results.

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