What Type Of Person Thrives In Public Relations, According To A Managing Director At SHIFT Communications
Alan, a Managing Director at SHIFT Communications, identifies three key attributes for success in the PR industry: "great communicators," a "thick skin" to handle frequent rejection, and unwavering "curiosity" to navigate diverse client needs and continuously learn. This combination of skills and resilience, according to Alan, is crucial for thriving in the competitive agency landscape.
Communication, Resilience, Curiosity, Competitive spirit, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alan Dunton
Managing Director
SHIFT Communications
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
NA
Creative Writing, Journalism
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Business Strategy
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Strong communication skills (written and verbal) are essential for success in the PR industry.
2. Developing a thick skin is crucial, as dealing with rejection (e.g., from media pitching) is common.
3. Curiosity and a willingness to explore diverse topics and client types are vital for thriving in this dynamic field.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
We take all kinds. But I think there are some core attributes of people who have been really successful in this industry.
Number one: great communicators. Their written and verbal communication skills are solid.
Number two: thick skin. This is an industry of "no," especially if you're on the agency side and pitching a lot of media. It's very competitive. You're going to get told "no" a lot. You'll be ignored a lot. If that's not something you like, this is probably not the space for you.
There are also lots of other jobs within the PR industry. But when you start, core responsibilities include pitching media and thinking about media. That's exciting for a lot of people.
It can also be off-putting, because again, it's not one that won't see a lot of doors slammed in your face.
And then number three is just curiosity. Really finding ways to be interested in different things on a regular basis. It does take a lot of energy. It can be exhausting at times.
When you work for a firm, for instance, you'll be exposed to lots of different types of clients, maybe in different practice groups with different specialties. That's an opportunity to learn and get a feel for what you like, what you don't like, and what kind of spaces you might want to operate in.
But you've got to be curious. You've got to ask questions. You've got to look for things that might not seem interesting on first glance. The more you look into something under the surface, the more it might excite you. You might learn from it.