5 Most Essential Skills/Traits a PR Practitioner Must Have

There are five simple skills and or traits that all public relations practitioners must have. All are proven to be vital to any PR practitioner. Click on each skill, and the link will take you to CareerBuilder, Indeed and other job descriptions with most having all five of the above skills as requirements.

1.Communication Skills (Written and Verbal)
2. Strong Inter-personal Skills (working in teams)
3. Able to multi-task (deadlines, multiple projects simultaneously)
4. Proficient knowledge with social media (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Youtube, etc.)
5. Able to excel in a fast paced environment


1. Communication Skills (Written and Verbal)

The majority of your job will most likely rely on your communication skills.

The verbal skills are what people will first notice upon meeting you. If you have great verbal communication skills, the client is more likely to work with you than someone or some other company with less than perfect communication skills. These communication skills tie all of your other skills together and ultimately decide the outcome of a job.

Written communication skills are just as important. If there is no chance of meeting with a client face to face, your resume or portfolio will be what sells you. If you write at the level of a second grader, then you will more than likely not get the job.

2. Strong Inter-personal skills

Working in team environments or just with other people can play a big role in any Public Relations job. For example, if you are an event planner you must be able to work with others to get the function or event done on time and exactly as the client wants it to be. If working as a as a team is a problem, the event will never work.

3. Able to multi-task

If you are only able to do one thing at a time, nothing will ever get done on time! Sometimes there will be 3, 4, 5 or more events or press releases that you need to be sent out or planned by 5 p.m.; it is 1p.m.! You need to be able to multi-task and quickly but correctly get each job done within the deadline.

4. Proficient knowledge with social media (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Youtube, etc.)

Knowing and keeping up with technology can be vital to a company’s existence. This is a great way to keep in contact and keep updated with clients and potential clients. Technology is constantly changing, if you don’t keep up then you will be left behind the other individuals and company’s that are not keeping up. Direct feedback also plays a huge role in social media. Prior to Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and others, individuals and company's sent out press releases and got feedback via email or mail. Through Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, feedback is instant and on the same page as your information.


5. Able to excel in a fast paced environment

You should always have room to grow. If you cant keep up, then more than likely you will not grow in that job.




This YouTube video lists some of the above requirements (within the first 35 seconds of the video). He explains that communication skills are most important to being successful in PR, which I noted above.