Raise your hand if this has ever happened to you: You’re at a party when a writer friend (okay, associate) comes up and starts grilling you about your job. ”How much writing do you really have to do?” “Which is better: the agency or in-house side?” “Uh, are you hiring?” (By now, you’re probably raising both hands and stomping your feet, no?)

Veteran publicists know that while PR and journalism both require having great contacts and writing skills, the similarities pretty much stop there. In Mediabistro’s latest AvantGuild article, journos who have made the transition discussed some of the hard-learned truths (and myths) about working in PR.

For starters, public relations is not easier than reporting. “Corporate culture is an adjustment,” explained Ramey Becker, former TV reporter and current director of communications for Financial Planning Standards Board. Perhaps most eye-opening, she said, “You realize how much you don’t know about the real (read: business) world.”

Read more in What Journalists Should Know Before Switching to PR. [subscription required]