The world of professional communications is a dynamic and constantly evolving field, which means those who work within it must also consistently evolve their skill sets. Today, certain skills are highly valued by comms leaders, and teammates who acquire and refine them will be considered great assets to their team and company.
A skilled comms professional is capable of handling higher-level responsibilities, receives more visible projects and can achieve greater overall career success. Below, 17 members of Forbes Communications Council share key competencies comms leaders are seeking in current employees and potential hires. Comms pros who gain these abilities and master them will increase their attractiveness to employers.
1. AI Content Creation
Make artificial intelligence your friend. There are many tools available to help with copywriting and editing when you are creating first drafts of content. It’s a great time-saving tool, especially when you have many articles to write, but always make sure to copy edit the content before sharing or posting. - Sal Viveros, Ivanti
2. Data Analysis
It’s data analysis for the win! Marketing has long been seen as “overhead.” The C-suite often doesn’t understand the marketing team’s real impact. But when you bring data to the table to quantify results, prove revenue by campaign and validate or eliminate expenses, you have changed the game. The marketing scientist—the one who knows how to analyze and use data—is the one to watch. - Esther Bonardi, Yardi Systems
3. Change Communication
Change communication is a critical new skill set that any pro should have—and invest in. This isn’t writing about change. It’s the discipline of applying communications to change management (the human side of change). Learning to apply an accepted change management methodology through the lens of a communicator is a slam dunk for growth and development. Go get certified. - Mark Dollins, North Star Communications Consulting
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4. The Ability To Ask The Right Questions
The ability to ask the right questions can set you apart from other candidates. During interviews, you typically ask the pay, benefits and culture questions, but to demonstrate you are a strong communications professional, take a deep dive into their brand and company and develop a few highly specific, open-ended questions. This shows you are detail-oriented and knowledgeable about the company. - Sarah Lero, A.L. Huber
Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
5. Generative AI Prompting
Expertise in using generative AI has to be the hottest skill set right now. Effectively using tools such as ChatGPT is not as simple as just asking the platform to write an article on a particular topic and then publishing the resulting copy. Crafting the most effective prompts and then prompting the tool to revise and improve content is becoming one of the most valuable skills in marketing. - Tom Wozniak, OPTIZMO Technologies, LLC
6. Communicating With Depth And Conviction
This world is filled mostly with noise and shallow attempts at grabbing attention. People know the difference when they read something that has meaning. Comms pros need to take the time to thoroughly understand their clients’ domain and do some research so that they can offer clients new, meaningful perspectives. - Jessica Marie, Omnia Strategy Group
7. Listening With Curiosity
While we value skills such as storytelling and creativity, listening is an underrated and critical requirement for a comms professional. If you have the ability to truly listen and apply curiosity—for example, by asking, “And why is that important?”—the content you produce should be richer and free from of assumptions. - Karen Quinn, Finastra
8. Agility
A communicator should be a “hustler” and have the agility to adapt to various business situations. This requires the ability to get yourself educated (sometimes overnight) on various market trends, such as generative AI. - Rashmi Bijai, OnBoard
9. Protective Communication
Recently, concerns regarding improving, repairing, monitoring and protecting the reputation of brands, companies and executive profiles have arisen. Finding a communicator who is highly skilled in protective communication and can orchestrate defensive communications strategies during times of reputational risk will be a necessity and the primary focus of all companies and their executives. - Katja Fašink, Transmission System Operator ELES
10. Adaptability And Resilience
Adaptability and resilience are indispensable, given today’s business challenges—from reorganizations and budget cuts to changing priorities and channels. To foster adaptability, embrace a growth mindset and seek experiences that take you out of your comfort zone. Recognizing that change brings opportunity can help you navigate through uncertainties while exhibiting grace under pressure. - Alyssa Kopelman, Healthline Media
11. Inclusive Communication
The last thing a person wants is to feel alienated. In an age when communicating is more nuanced than ever before, comms pros with the ability to be inclusive in their communications will rise to the top. Inclusivity is also about relating to the audience, and this means using language that is easy to digest and shareable by people across all spectrums. - Asad Kausar, Dabaran
12. Emotive Data Storytelling
In an era marked by AI and data dominance, I’d say the standout skill is emotive data storytelling. It’s all about weaving emotional intelligence into data-driven insights. AI can generate content, but it lacks a human touch—empathy. By merging these elements, you’re not just telling a story; you’re making your audience feel it. That’s powerful, and it drives results. - Brittany Garlin, Vista Social
13. Data Literacy
Data literacy is a hot skill in communications. Being able to analyze, interpret and apply data to communication strategies is invaluable. Start by learning the basics of data analysis using tools such as Excel, then explore more advanced software such as Google Analytics. Online courses and tutorials are great resources for learning these skills. - Jonathan Shroyer, Arise Gaming
14. Becoming Visible In The Press
Public relations professionals should build their media profiles, demonstrating their capacity to generate compelling stories. Refining this skill could involve writing opinion pieces, appearing as a subject matter expert or starting a topical blog or podcast. PR pros prove their value to potential employers by showing they can make news themselves. - Marie O’Riordan, EML
15. Playing To The Camera
In a world where text is increasingly commoditized, courtesy of AI, comms pros who master video can separate themselves from the rest. Whether it’s by serving as a podcast host or virtual event presenter or by working on a social content campaign, learning the ins and outs of the medium via experimentation and expert guidance is critical for comms pros trying to make their mark! - Patrick Ward, Formula.Monks
16. Understanding Trends
The key communication skill is always writing—always. But for another idea, follow the trends closely in comms. You may not have to know the ins and outs of every new social platform or every aspect of paid search or content, but you need to know how everything can work together to amplify results for communications campaigns and overall marketing efforts. This knowledge will only continue to grow in importance as technology advances. - Chris Cradduck, LDWW
17. The Ability To Weave Topical Content Into Narratives
The ability to incorporate topical content into a narrative is a hot and evergreen skill, in my view. This requires not only staying updated on current events and trending information, but also using that knowledge in a cogent way to capture audience attention. - Sowmya Moni
