My Skills as a Growing Public Relations Professional

Davefleet.com has a list of "14 Key Skills & Attributes For New Public Relations Professionals." After reading the list I assessed my Public Relations Skills and found my strengths and what I need to improve on.

Writing: Writing is one of my strengths. I enjoy communicating in writing. I have gained a lot of experience in writing for Public Relations. The ability to write is one that will never leave me and the need for people to write in Public Relations will never fade either. I want to continue to build my writing skills and experience.

Communication Skills: I am continuously trying to expand my communication skills. Often I come across as quiet, but I learn about people by listening to them and asking questions. Listening is a lost art of communication. I believe that my listening skills will greatly benefit me in the Public Relations arena because in order to be a liaison you must truly understand what people are saying and listen to their needs.

Attention to Detail: I have great attention to detail in the work that I do. I take pride in the work I am do and I become a perfectionist about details. I am a firm believer that editing is an unending process and it is still something that I need to improve on.

Media Relations: I am gaining experience with media relations. The media is a great ally to a PR practitioner. It is imperative to develop a good working relationship with the media. In Writing for Public Relations I learned how to develop a media list and through my practicum I am learning how to host the press for an event. I would like to gain more experience with media relations.

Proactiveness: I like taking action. If I don't know how to do something I want to learn how!

Work Ethic: I am not a work-a-holic, but it is important to give my best to everything that I do. I am a passion and goal driven person. I develop a passion for what I am working towards no matter how small it is, then develop goals and work hard until it is done. Developing a passion for everything that I do is key!

Blogging: I am learning about the world of blogging RIGHT NOW! I still have a lot to learn about blogging, but I hope that by the end of the year I will be a avid blogger!

Microblogging: Microblogging is all new to me at the moment, but I am a willing learner! Twitter is my first experience with microblogging and I am quickly learning the ropes!

Social Networking Tools: Almost all college students I know are experts on Facebook. I would like to get more familiar with other social networking sites.

Social Media Ethics: This is something that I would love to learn more about. Social media is such a huge part of PR and I think it would be beneficial to explore the ethical issues.

There are several more technical skills that I need to develop and understand from davefleet.com's list, like coding and SEO. I hope that I can learn more about these in class before I graduate. I also look forward to continuing to cultivate all of PR skills throughout this year!