As working professionals in any industry, continuing education is key to job security, career advancement and client success. PR is no different. In fact, the evolution of the media landscape and social media platforms, and the integration of marketing and public relations, are all the more reason to seek opportunities to learn the latest methods, refresh our skills, and gain a competitive edge over other industry professionals.
But what might continuing education look like? Is it pursuing a master’s degree? Is it earning an APR? Is it attending conferences? There are many ways PR professionals can elevate and polish their skills. Outlined below are five suggestions to help individuals determine which options are the best fit for them.
- Social Media
Scrolling on social media has earned a bad rep as being a waste of time. However, it can actually be a great way to stay on our toes. Information on social media is always changing, and the medium is arguably one of the easiest ways to share stories. Because of this, social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter have become a go-to way for people to share their professional successes and failures. The posts our network shares are teaming with valuable insights that can teach us best practices. The posts might also help us avoid making the same mistake one of our colleagues recently made.
Another way to use social media to our benefit is by searching hashtags like #PRPro or #PRTips and monitoring the conversations to glean helpful career info. Further, we might find mentoring or networking opportunities – both valuable components of continued learning.
- Conferences
Conferences and events are a commonly used way to stay in-the-know. Conferences teach practical PR strategies and tactics, catered to a variety of sectors. For example, there are PR conferences for education, food and beverage, tech, crisis communications, travel and tourism, health and much more. Industry leaders come together to share their lessons learned and how they’re adapting to market and technology changes – a topic especially relevant during a pandemic.
- Traditional Education
Recently, Tesla made headlines with its decision to eliminate its PR department. Some of the PR team was reassigned within the company, taking on roles in external relations, employee experience or content design and development. While there are serious negative ramifications that could result from removing the PR department, the move demonstrates a trend that other companies might choose to follow. Writing for PR Daily, Ted Kitterman highlighted the importance of being a well-rounded PR professional by saying, “PR pros can make themselves indispensable by becoming business experts who have communications knowledge.”
Some individuals might find it useful to pursue another degree to strengthen their business prowess or expand their skillset. For example, if someone has a bachelor’s degree in communications, they might choose to pursue a master’s degree in business or advertising or pursue a certificate in graphic design. Being well rounded can give us a leg up when pitching a new client, providing counsel to an existing client, or weathering internal company changes.
- Reading
With our phones at our disposal, we can easily access a wealth of industry knowledge from blogs, news websites, books and more. Reading is one of the most common means of continual learning. And like social media, the information shared is always changing. PR pros should seek out materials that deliver smart insights, do’s and don’ts and examples of PR campaigns in the industry. Major PR publications include PR Daily, PRNews, O’Dwyer’s, PRsay, Cision Blog and HubSpot Blog. Business outlets like Entrepreneur and Forbes are also great resources.
- Podcasts
No time to read? Podcasts are a great alternative. Listening to podcasts injects learning into everyday life, with little to no disruption to our schedules. Whether we’re making breakfast, going for a walk or commuting, podcasts can teach us while we multitask. For ideas on podcasts to listen to, check out Cision’s recommendations.
Our challenge as public relations professionals is to keep ourselves informed about new and emerging technologies and techniques so that we are able to provide clients with the very best counsel and service we can. While much of our learning comes on the job, we must also take advantage of online and in-person opportunities to learn. Regardless of our place in our professional lives, we must continue to hone our skills so that we remain on the cutting edge of the techniques and technologies that define our profession.