Why ‘soft skills’ are a solid investment for PR pros
PR insider Jamie McLaughlin shares what PR agencies and internal teams are looking for in their ideal candidate. Plus, we share top job listings for communications experts on the move.
Editor’s note: This piece is part of a series. Be sure to check back soon to get more insights from PR talent experts.
If there’s one trait that PR agencies and inhouse teams are looking for above all others, it’s flexibility.
In conversation with Jamie McLaughlin, of JWM Talent, who has spent 14 years specializing in finding top candidates for communications teams, one thing comes up again and again: Today’s PR pros must be ready to adapt to a rapidly changing work environment.
Don’t call them ‘soft’
“I’m reluctant to say soft and hard skills, because I think in PR it often is the soft skills that that separates the great PRs from the rest,” McLaughlin says.
The exact makeup of those hard-to-quantify skills can vary depending on the business or agency looking to hire.
“We’ve very much seen a movement toward integration,” says McLaughlin. “They’re looking for people with data analytics skills; they’re looking for people with creative strategy skills; they’re looking for people with brand positioning skills.”
However, McLaughlin sees the requisites for PR success as going beyond a traditional CV.
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