Photo from Heidi Sullivan
Public relations is a career that is full of opportunity. However, it is not an easy job. The following are five important skills a PR practitioner must have in order to have a long and successful career.
1. Have Good Communications Skills in both Writing and Public Speaking
Being able to communicate with clients, both verbally and in writing, are required for every PR job. They are a must if you want to make it in the world of public relations. Write as much as you can, as often as you can. PR practitioners have to be able to tell a story, change someone’s point of view, or attract a person to a product or service. Good communication skills will help any PR career survive and prosper.
2. Be Social Media Savvy…In Fact, Be Media Savvy All Around
Be informed! Read newspapers, watch television! Know what is going on in the world, not just in your own backyard. Also, be able to use current social media efficiently. Be able to communicate though blogs, message boards, and social networks like Facebook.
3. Be Able To Think Critically!
Think on your toes! You will be given many problems, sometimes all at once, that have to be fixed. Having good critical thinking skills will help sort though the mess.
4. Be Creative!
As Taco Bell would say, “think outside the bun.” Show your boss, co-workers and clients the real you. Sometimes creativity is all you have. Take the American Heart Association (AHA) for example. As a nonprofit organization, it has a set amount of money for events and promotions. As a PR practitioner, you have to be creative. You have to also be able to brainstorm and develop story ideas for your client’s causes, issues, products and/or services.
5. Have A Personal Interest In PR, It Is Your JOB!
Love the work you do, or at least like it. If you do not believe in the final outcome you are trying to come to, who will? Enjoy coming to work everyday. PR is different from other careers. Most of the time, PR is not a 9 to 5 job. Reporters may call you after work or on the weekends to get information for stories. It calls for you to do many different jobs, like talking to a sport client , writing press releases for the governor, or cleaning up a company’s crisis.
Here is a few more tips from a real PR practitioner.
PR is a job with many different branches; including, government, nonprofit, corporations, agencies, and individual consultants. You just have to take your time, research, and you will find the right job.
