The range of qualifications available to both aspiring and current public relations practitioners needs to be more digitally orientated in order to meet the growing demand from agencies for digital PR practitioners.
Following the news from PR Week that many recruitment consultants are struggling to find candidates with skills in the digital facets of public relations, technology PR Agency Punch has indicated that it is partly the responsibility of universities and colleges that provide PR qualifications to ensure that their students graduate with a good understanding of the digital PR and social media worlds.
With public relations constantly evolving as a result of modern technologies, and the digital sector becoming more and more relevant to the industry, there is an increasing demand for practitioners with experience and an understanding of social media practition in PR.
Managing Director of Search and SEO Agency, Pete Goold, said: “The establishment of services that can now be considered under the public relations umbrella such as search and social media optimisation means that there is an increased demand from agencies for candidates who have a knowledge of these digital subsets of PR, the capacity to operate within them and the skill set to seamlessly fit into a team of digital practitioners.
“One of the problems is that much of the new talent in the industry emerging from universities or colleges often don’t possess the foundations of digital knowledge. Whilst a great number of PR skills are indeed learnt in a working environment, it is important that the courses offer a comprehensive overview of digital PR and social media use”.
Punch Communications is a leading agency in the digital public relations sector, providing both search and social media services alongside a traditional public relations offering. Punch has continued to cultivate its skill set and client offering throughout the economic downturn, and it’s currently looking for established public relations practitioners to add to its growing team.
To enquire about opportunities for PR jobs at Punch, please call 01858 411 600, or visit punchcomms.com.
