7 ‘soft skills’ all PR pros should master

This article originally appeared on PR Daily in March of 2018.

To be successful in PR, you must have certain skills.

Abilities like writing, research and communications are essential—and now, proficiency in areas like visual storytelling, analytics and measurement are becoming just as crucial.

Beyond what you’ll learn in the classroom, what soft skills will help you succeed in a PR career?

First, let’s define what a soft skill is.

While a hard skill can be measured, a soft skill is intangible and may be tough to quantify. Employers may not be able to test candidates for it, but they recognize it when they see it.

Soft skills can be as critical as hard skills. In fact, research from the Society for Human Resource Management found that employers care more about soft skills than they do technical abilities.

Here are seven soft skills to foster if you want to succeed in public relations:

1. Teamwork