media update’s Adam Wakefield spoke to Kelebogile Shomang, a consultant at communications firm ByDesign Communications, about what it takes to work in PR today.

What four key skills do you believe are essential for a PR professional today to have in their tool kit?
  • Effective communication - writing, verbal, and non-verbal; 
  • Media relations;   
  • Research; and 
  • Time management and organizational skills; 
What are these skills important?

We live in digital culture where people no longer pick up the phone to motivate a press release. We simply draft an email, proof read, and click send. Therefore, it’s important to be able to communicate confidently with your clients, the media, as well as your colleagues.Build your confidence by practising how to write a professional email, press release, and media motivation, while maintaining a friendly yet stern tone. 

Media relations is an important skill to acquire because part of your job is to engage the media on editorial story angles and upcoming features. Aim to establish and maintain good relationships with journalists, reporters, and editors in various industries over the course of your career as it will come in handy when you need coverage for your client. Having a good relationship with the media will give you a better understanding of the type of content the publication covers and each journalist's beat. 

A PR professional needs to be able to conduct thorough research in order to communicate effectively, develop good PR strategies and provide applicable solutions for clients. We operate in a very competitive industry and the best way to establish yourself among the rest is to remain on the pulse of everything that involves your client and their industry. Be knowledgeable about your clients and their needs.

The industry is fast paced and therefore requires you to be organized and on time. At times, you'll be required to juggle multiple clients and projects, always meet deadlines, and prioritize daily tasks. It's important for you to perform timeously, and produce good work, under pressure. Remember that you work with other people, so keep a good rapport with your team by remaining calm, and manage your time effectively. 

How can an aspiring PR professional go about acquiring these skills?

First things first is to decide whether PR is the right profession for you. Get a clear understanding of what PR is, what it entails and what is expected of an individual pursuing the profession. Ask yourself if the PR profession resonates with your personality, are you passionate, genuinely interested in learning and growing in this career path?

The best way to acquire PR skills is to find work in the field. In South Africa, the minimum requirement for an entry level position at a PR agency is a degree/diploma in marketing, media, PR, corporate communication, journalism and related fields.

Once you’ve acquired either of those qualifications, the next step is to update your CV, do an online search for relevant internship programs and vacancies that are looking to hire candidates with your qualification and existing skill set. Start applying!

What, in your opinion, is the toughest adjustment to make for a new person entering the PR industry?

In my experience, it was a combination of managing multiple client tasks, prioritizing each client’s workload, time management and understanding that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness.

In school I enjoyed working independently more than I did in groups because it was the best way to get the good marks that I wanted. When I started working in PR, I had to learn to speak up and ask for help, seek direction, accept feedback constructively, stand to be corrected, and voice my opinion whenever I had different view point.

I was always the first to arrive and the last to leave the office because it took me that much longer to complete each client’s tasks and prepare for the next day. As months of practice went by, it took me less and less time to complete tasks and I grew confident in my skills and work ethic.

I would advise anyone pursuing the PR profession to be certain that they want to be there and that they are willing to do everything it takes to learn and to grow.

Outside the office, name some of the activities you believe helps a PR the most without it being a work activity?
  • Stay up to date with the news by subscribing to news alert publications;  
  • Listen to the radio. They are always discussing trending topics;
  • Join a book club and read as much as you can; 
  • Get regular exercise, whether you enjoy running, yoga, cycling, playing sport or a gym workout. Do it at least three times a week. It helps alleviate stress;
  • Socialize, go out and engage with people. It will help improve your communication skills, build your public speaking confidence, and help you build relationships; and
  • Attend industry events;
Engaging in the above won’t feel like work but each potentially could land your client coverage on a relevant platform, a media partnership, or it could spark up a new story angle.

For more information, visit bydesigncommunications.co.za.

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Landing a position at a PR agency starts with a well-drafted CV, but is there more to land that coveted interview? Read more in our article, How to get an interview at a PR agency.