A recent article from PRDaily entitled, “5 Key Traits of a Successful PR Professional,” got me thinking – what does it take to be in this field? Much like the author of the article, there were many characteristics that came to mind when I first saw this. I thought the ones outlined in the article were pretty spot on, and believe they were definitely worth sharing. PR is infamous for being a challenging line of work. Remember when PR was ranked one of the most stressful jobs this year according to CareerCast.com? I know I haven’t forgotten! Here are the five traits necessary to be successful in PR as discussed in the article:
– Thick skin. I couldn’t agree more with this choice! I will never forget one of my favorite college professors telling our entire first-year PR class not to get into PR if you are easily offended, and boy was he right. Sometimes you need to not sweat the small things, and just remember the job is stressful and with that comes criticism from time to time.
– Resiliency. Pitching the tough reporter you’ve been trying to get on the hook, only to have them curse you out for wasting their time takes a whole lot of courage. And being able to call them back and pitch something more relevant takes resilience. I consider this characteristic to be the most important one for any PR professional. You have to be able to bounce back quickly, and always take the good with the bad if you want to be successful in this field.
– Attention to detail. When you are working for a client, attention to detail is crucial. Spend time reviewing all client documents and materials to avoid any careless typos or errors. More importantly, always pay attention to what is going on with your client’s business and industry. Every company and brand is under a microscope in today’s society making our job as brand representative and consultants that much more significant. Always be one step ahead!
– Creativity. One of the most exciting parts of the job is being able to get creative. Consumers are feeling more and more inundated with content, making it even harder for brands to stand out from the rest. If you are scared to speak up because your creative ideas might not make the cut, I suggest getting over that fear now. Creativity always makes the client happy. I mean after all, that is what they are paying us for!
– Relationship builder. This is something that I truly enjoy about PR. Building relationships is imperative whether it’s with a journalist, business owners or another PR professional. Our job is challenging. Having a handful of people you can lean on to get the scoop on a new business prospect or secure a front-page feature for a client makes all the difference.
So, do you have what it takes to be in PR?