Amy's thoughts
Six Essential Qualities Every PR Exec Must Have
If you’re thinking of embarking on a career in Online PR, here are some of the must-have characteristics to suceed in the industry from my experience:
1. A Nose for News
Every good PR Exec needs to have what I like to call ‘a nose for news’. You need to be able to differentiate a good opportunity from a bad one, and approach campaign planning from an impartial perspective like a journalist would. Not every bit of company news will be PRable – it’s about picking and choosing newsworthy nuggets for maximum coverage.
2. An Eye for Detail
A PR Exec without an eye for detail is like a workman without his tools. Everything you produce has to be bullet-proof from cynical journalists and of course, the wider consumer audience. Believe it or not, there really are people that do nothing but trawl the internet to find holes in stories put together by sloppy PRs.
3. The Ability to Prioritise
Particularly with agency work, the ability to prioritise when every project is deemed ‘urgent’ can be a tricky one. You have to balance the needs of each of your clients, without dropping the ball. A couple of things to consider when prioritising your work are:
- Is my story time critical? Will it damage my success rate to wait a few days?
- What results are we currently achieving on this campaign?
4. A Proactive Nature
A good PR won’t wait for news to land on their doorstep; they’ll create it. Being proactive is an absolute must for executing successful campaigns.
5. A Reactive Nature
It is equally important to be highly reactive. You need to be abreast of industry news across your client base, and be ready to react to any opportunities that might happen upon you.
6. A Personable Attitude
It’s so important to have a passion for building relationships in this industry. I’m delighted to be able to call some of my contacts not just acquaintances, but friends. If you love people, PR may well be the career for you.
Hi Amy,
As a student at the University of Leeds looking at a possible career in PR, this article is certainly insightful! As team leader in online PR, do you think these ‘qualities’ only apply to the expanding online PR world or is there still a market for more traditional platforms of PR? As someone who hopes the PR industry will continues to expand, I am interested to see what someone working within the industry thinks..?
Thanks,
Oliver Aird
Hi Oliver,
Thanks for your comments. Yes, these qualities absolutely apply to the more traditional PR platforms. In terms of the expansion of the industry, it’s my view that businesses will start to move away from traditional PR in favour of a more digitally oriented approach.
Amy