Blogger Ephraim Cohen turns the conventional “What’s the future of PR?” question on its head in this post on the future of the PR professional. The question, according to Ephraim, is not will PR exist in the future but, rather, how many qualified PR people will be around.
Ephraim’s take, in summary:
“PR professionals will always exist in some form as ompanies all too often need help figuring how best to communicate with their constituencies. The real challenge is coming up with enough PR professionals that do understand today’s communications environment. Agencies and companies should be looking at not just blogging but beyond.”
When it comes to predicting how many PR practitioners will be able to maintain the skills they’ll need for the future, Ephraim’s concerns seem to reflect those of the industry, from leading practitioners (like Richard Edelman, who recently pondered the skill set required for the corporate blogger of the future) and students still in college.
The best comment I’ve seen on this subject came up just yesterday on the YPRP discussion group (a Yahoo! Group). PRWeek’s Elly Trickett shared the following insights on what skills an aspiring PR professional should have:
“These are the skills expected of someone in the first 0-3 years of their PR career:
Writing
Proficiency in spelling, grammar and language structure, and ability to write news releases, newsletter and magazine articles, video scripts, basic speeches, and proposals.
Media Relations
Understanding the needs of various media outlets, both general and trade,traditional and non-traditional; steps necessary in story placement; relationship building; the history of the firm/client’s successes andfailures; successful phone-selling techniques.
Research
Basic understanding of scientific research and its application to PR, including the difference between qualitative and quantitative; research,data collection, and evaluation methodologies; budgeting and costs.
Client-Service Management
Meeting client expectations through quality-management of work; projectmanagement; conflict-resolution skills; budget management.
Public Speaking
Confident client and small-group presentations, and face-to-face and peer communication.
Electronic Communication
Basic proficiency in software and internet skills, including PowerPoint,Access, projectors, and databases.
Administrative
Proficiency and understanding of basic operating procedures, includingpersonal time accounting, budgets, and activity reports.
Leadership/Team Building
Understanding management skills and styles, group dynamics, and teambuilding.”
These are great insights. You can read the entire conversation (held between dozens of PR pros and PR students) by subscribing to the YPRP discussion board here.
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