Profession public relations officer

Public relations officers represent a company or organisation to stakeholders and the public. They use communications strategies to promote an understanding of the activities and image of their clients in a favourable way.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Artistic

Knowledge

• Forming of public opinion

  The process whereby perceptions and opinions toward something are forged and enforced. The elements that play a role in public opinion such as framing information, psyche processes, and herding.

• Corporate social responsibility

  The handling or managing of business processes in a responsible and ethical manner considering the economic responsibility towards shareholders as equally important as the responsibility towards environmental and social stakeholders.

• Strategic planning

  The elements defining the foundation and core of an organisation such as its mission, vision, values, and objectives.

• Diplomatic principles

  The practices of facilitating agreements or international treaties with other countries by conducting negotiations and attempting to protect the interests of the home government, as well as facilitating compromise.

• Rhetoric

  The art of discourse that aims at improving the ability of writers and speakers to inform, persuade or motivate their audience.

• Market research

  The processes, techniques, and purposes comprised in the first step for developing marketing strategies such as the collection of information about customers and the definition of segments and targets.

• Communication principles

  The set of commonly shared principles in regards with communication such as active listening, establish rapport, adjusting the register, and respecting the intervention of others.

Skills

• Protect client interests

  Protect the interests and needs of a client by taking necessary actions, and researching all possibilities, to ensure that the client obtains their favoured outcome.

• Analyse external factors of companies

  Perform research and analysis of the external factor pertaining to companies such as consumers, position in the market, competitors, and political situation.

• Draft press releases

  Collect information and write press releases adjusting the register to the target audience and ensuring that the message is well conveyed.

• Conduct public presentations

  Speak in public and interact with those present. Prepare notices, plans, charts, and other information to support the presentation.

• Integrate strategic foundation in daily performance

  Reflect on the strategic foundation of companies, meaning their mission, vision, and values in order to integrate this foundation in the performance of the job position.

• Advise on public relations

  Advise business or public organisations on public relations management and strategies in order to ensure efficient communication with target audiences, and proper conveying of information.

• Organise press conferences

  Organise interviews for a group of journalists in order to make an announcement or answer questions on a specific subject.

• Perform public relations

  Perform public relations (PR) by managing the spread of information between an individual or an organisation and the public.

• Use different communication channels

  Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.

• Develop communication strategies

  Manage or contribute to the conception and implementation of an organisation's internal and external communications plans and presentation, including its online presence.

• Advise on public image

  Advise a client such as a politician, artist or another individual dealing with the public on how to present themselves in a way which would gain most favour from the general public or a target audience.

• Prepare presentation material

  Prepare the documents, slide shows, posters and any other media needed for specific audiences.

• Perform interviews

  Research the context of the interview. Plan availability. Prepare yourself according to the context and the diversity of media (radio, television, web, newspapers, etc.), and give an interview.

• Develop public relations strategies

  Plan, coordinate and implement all the efforts required in a public relations strategy such as defining the targets, preparing communications, contacting partners, and spreading information among stakeholders.

• Establish relationship with the media

  Adopt a professional attitude to respond effectively to the demands of the media.

• Speak in public

  Address a group of listeners in a structured, deliberate manner to inform, influence or convince them.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB