Whether you’re looking to make a career change or you’re just getting started, the chances are you’ll have some transferable skills that will come in handy for a career in PR.
Managing a relationship between a brand and the public has become increasingly more important in our interconnected world. This will require great communication skills, creativity and of course writing skills.
PR can be incredibly fast-paced, each day can be different and you could go from launching a new product or campaign idea to navigating a crisis or negative review. Your use of time management and attention to detail will be key in helping you navigate the world of PR.
Working for an agency will also mean you’ll have to be incredibly adaptable when it comes to your clients who may vary across several different sectors. Your research skills are what will help you to understand each client's field so you can create a relevant and compelling campaign for their target audience.
In this blog post we’ll look into the essential skills needed for a successful career in PR, from creativity and team work to attention to detail and communication skills. We’ll also take a look at how they’ll come into play in your everyday work life.
Time management
It’s common to be juggling several clients, projects and deadlines all at once so you’ll need to be able to manage your time well and prioritise your most important tasks. Online planners, notebooks and to do lists all work great in helping you keep on top of your workload.
You’ll often get journalists who will ask for urgent requests which sometimes means replanning your entire day in order to meet deadlines.
Writing skills
Writing press releases, website copy and blog content are some of the writing tasks you could be doing on a daily basis so it’s important to learn how to effectively communicate your message in an engaging and concise way.
Communication skills
Communication is at the heart of PR and will be a skill you need everyday. This will come into play when you pitch releases to journalists on behalf of a client. You may also find yourself presenting your clients with new ideas and campaign feedback. In both of these instances it’s important to be able to convey things in a clear and concise way while also being able to handle any questions and queries that come up.
Adaptability
The digital PR world is always changing so you’ll need to be able to keep up with and adapt to new updates and changes that come along so you can keep up with clients' demands. These changes could be anything from an update in Google’s search ranking or a shift in the type of content that works well with the media.
It’s important to stay flexible and keep learning to help get the best results.
Creativity
People's attention spans have become shorter and shorter with social media these days which is why being creative and coming up with new and engaging ideas is more important than ever.
It’s likely you’ll be given a brief from clients on the kind of campaign they want you to develop, it’s your job to then come up with creative and engaging ways to convey this to the public.
Research
From home and interiors to technology and travel, when working as part of an agency you’ll be working with a large variety of clients from all sectors and you’ll need to stay up to speed with what's happening in each one.
Research skills will be key when it comes to finding out more about a client and understanding their field so you can pitch them a relevant campaign that meets their needs.
Teamwork
Teamwork is essential in PR and you’ll often find yourself working as part of a wider team to successfully execute a campaign. You’ll also need to be able to work well with clients who want to work collaboratively with you when it comes to their PR.
Crisis management
Things don’t always go as planned and you may have to develop a plan to help a client deal with some crisis management. This could be an issue with a product, a negative review or a social media incident. In these situations it’s important to keep a level head and remain calm despite feeling under pressure.
Attention to detail
When you’re constantly writing and approving copy for your client you’ll need to make sure you’re paying incredible attention to detail to avoid any errors. Even the smallest typo or mistake could put journalists off of running your release or campaign.
Remember that while PR is always changing, these skills will always be needed no matter what and they’re a great starting point for those interested in a new career in communications.
If you’re interested in working in PR please visit our careers page and get in touch.
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