Digital has become a key word of late in the PR industry as social media continues to play an integral part in communications strategies. As such, professionals in the sector have, over recent years, had to adapt to this changing digital landscape and incorporate this medium into their day-to-day activities.

PRs looking to move position – and indeed those seeking their first role – may then be forgiven for thinking that an in-depth knowledge of social networking sites will make them an attractive prospect for employers. After all, aren’t digital skills what everyone wants these days?

The answer is yes...and no. While expertise in digital media is valuable, more often than not, PR recruiters take it as a given, assuming that emerging talent will have the technical capabilities required for the job. So, if this technical expertise is expected of any PR candidate, what are the other skill sets that will stand a candidate out from the crowd as the PR industry evolves?

Just as writing a press release with no news angle is a waste of time, so is filling up social media with content that doesn’t engage the user. Simply being able to use digital channels is no longer of interest to an organisation. Instead, what employers are really looking for in a prospective employee is evidence of their ability to use digital platforms creatively, in ways that truly maximise the potential of the medium. In essence, they want to see that a candidate is able to take their communications expertise and utilise this across multiple medium, whether online, offline,