I have been thinking for the past couple of weeks about the variety of unexpected skills PR people might need to be successful today. Particularly for entrepreneurial PR types, like myself.
I have started a list of mine (below). What other skills have you found yourself unexpectedly needing?
1) HTML coding. Really, how can you evaluate websites, manage web design companies, etc. without knowing how to do a few things? Besides, being able to update your own website is crucial.
2) Finding Outlook Express .dbx files for backup and other arcane Windows stuff. I am my own tech support.
3) PHP -- the next skill on my list. Well, maybe behind actually learning how to generate RSS files so I can teach client webmasters (yes, I find them generally behind the eight ball on that stuff).
4) Blogging. This certainly wasn't on my radar screen 2 years ago. Now I am teaching clients about it.
5) Content management systems. I am using Article Manager from Interactive Tools. But it doesn't plan to add RSS feeds. So I am teaching myself PHP (see number 3) so I can create my own modular CM system via open source software. And I am building communciations-specific content portals because no one offers exactly what we need.
It is amazing how all of these things have to do with technology. To really be on the cutting edge of communications, you simply must understand these things, and the only way to truly understand them is to actually DO them. I am no expert -- you could say I know enough to cobble together things in the short term and ask pretty good questions about the long term.
I never expected to be doing any of these things. It just became clear that I need to acquire these skills, so I did. I didn't grow up on computers. I learned a little BASIC in high school and coded a little on a TRS-80. I used a MAC classic for a long time. I state this, as I can't imagine what will happen as the generation who has grown up manipulating the infosphere as naturally as they breathe enter the workforce.
Another reason to pursue life-long learning!
My experience is identical. ;) Amazing.
Best regards.
Posted by: Jose Luis | October 28, 2003 at 02:42 PM