How to Stay Competitive in the Current Job Crunch

by Suzanne FitzGerald, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA and chair of the PRSA Philly Accreditation Committee.

In the face of our current economy, a question I hear frequently from PR professionals is, “How can I stay competitive in such a tough job market?” The old standbys of taking a paid internship, working for the Chamber of Commerce pro bono or seeking out project consulting work are still viable options for enhancing your credentials. For those needing more significant income, try these tips:

Required skills

To sit at the management table and provide a timely and appropriate opinion, you must know research-if not how to conduct it, at least how to interpret and apply it. Without research, your opinion is just that-opinion. When you sit at the table with hard facts to support your opinion, it becomes a solid recommendation.

Similarly, those with counseling expertise belong at the management table. To succeed as a counselor, you must know strategic planning and issues management to point clients or your own organization’s leaders in the right direction. You also must know your target publics and what will and will not resonate with them.

In addition, crisis management knowledge works to your benefit. If you’re the one called during time of crisis and you help to resolve the crisis and restore the company or client image, you become a valued member of the management team.

Recommended knowledge

In times of economic downturn, we see a surge in graduate education. Thinking education or professional development may not seem natural in times of uncertainty, but in fact it may give you a leg up-most organizations look for those who consider education a lifelong pursuit. If you don’t hold a graduate degree and don’t want to spend the time and money to obtain one, most universities offer what Rowan University calls COGS-Certificates of Graduate Study. Some COGS require only 9 credits or three courses and you receive a university-level “professional development” certification.

Receiving APR certification would be another avenue to explore. Holding the APR credential indicates that you have mastery over the public relations body of knowledge.

And finally in the realm of education, social media knowledge helps. It isn’t “an end all, be all,” but rather is a relatively new emerging channel to use to deliver well-constructed messages.

Further helps

In my opinion, it pays to serve as a PR generalist. Some niches work, but when you’re asked to do more with less, being a generalist helps! Whether in nonprofit work, a corporate setting or an agency, you may be the PR, advertising, sales promotion, social media and crisis management person. As such, the more general knowledge you have, the better.

As trite as it sounds, your attitude toward less than high-level work can provide you with consulting or a job. A can-do attitude works in times of economic downturn. And best of all, you can control your attitude, if nothing else.

Experts note that once you’ve isolated an organization or a position as “perfect for you,” you need someone in the company to help you get to a decision maker; hence networking becomes essential.

Lastly, a resume tip for you. Don’t just list your responsibilities for each job served-list a key accomplishment or achievement to show that you not only did the job, you performed well.

Best wishes for success. Don’t give up-you have a lot to offer!!

Suzanne FitzGerald is chair of public relations and advertising at Rowan University and serves as a “Career Expert” with PRSA national.