Skills to Pay the Bills

I just read a blog by Dave Fleet called 14 Key Skills & Attributes for New Public Relations Professionals. This blog really made me think about how the field of public relations is constantly changing. Fleet mentioned the traditional public relations skills such as writing, communication skills, attention to detail, media relations, being proactive, and work ethic. These are considered the traditional attributes that public relations professional still need in addition to the new skills. The new skills include blogging, microblogging, social networking tools, SEO, coding, RSS, RSS readers, blogger relations, and social media ethics.

After reading this blog I realized I might not be as prepared as I thought. I know I could always improve on my writing skills. I know writing is the foundation of public relations so it is important for me to be confident with my writing skills. Another thing I could work on is being proactive. I need to learn to get down to business and get involved. I also think I need to learn more about social media and the tools it has to offer. Search engine optimization (SEO) is something Fleet mentioned in the new skills category. This is definitely something I need to learn more about. Currently I am learning about blogging and social network tools and of course I have a Facebook account, but there is so much more.

I think Fleet made a good attempt to let us know what skills public relations professionals are going to need in the future to compete with other people in the industry. I think it is important to have the traditional skills, but also be willing to learn and embrace the new attributes.