We’ve all seen corporate apology tours and political fallouts from unsavory comments and bad business decisions. The messaging following these national blunders are typically led by a Public Relations team, seeking to conduct damage control. But Public Relations is more than responding to a “PR crisis”. It’s about cultivating relationships with the public to ensure the brand isn’t just known but respected. If you’re looking to make a career in Public Relations, you’ll want to begin building the skills you’ll need to thrive.

Here are the top seven skills you’ll rely on;

Organization

Public Relations work is multi-faceted, timely, and involves many other people. If you’re to thrive, you’ll need to know your way around a personal planner along with everyone else’s you work with. One missed media interview and you could throw a critical relationship into jeopardy.

Relationship Building

Relationship skills will serve you well in any job, but when it comes to Public Relations, it’s essential. Your job is about building trust with individuals and the broad public. If you’re to have any chance at success, you’ll need to appear naturally likable and trustworthy before you can expect to get anyone to listen.

Adaptability

Some days, you’ll want to tune out and leave work at the office. But breaking news never adheres to a schedule. You’ll need to not only roll with unexpected changes, but you’ll also need to be energized by unexpected events and changing demands.

Attention to Detail

Every detail, no matter how small it may appear, could become much larger than you’d ever expect. You should always be laser-focused on potential mishaps and miscommunications. It’s literally one of the reasons you’re paid for the gig.

Empathy

One of your most powerful skills to deploy is empathy. It allows you to anticipate how your audience feels and the ways they may perceive your message. You’ll use this information to tailor your response for maximum effectiveness.

Decisive

In Public Relations, you’ll often be pushed to issue a statement on a faster timeline than you’d prefer. When an unexpected news alert hits, your audience will expect a timely response, especially now as more people look to brands to take a position on important social issues. Too long of a delay and you could miss a chance to build trust with your supporters. Worst, they may believe you’re ignoring their concerns.

Initiative

Some people believe the media is desperately seeking their story and by accepting, they’re doing them a favor. But this view isn’t only wrong, it’s arrogant. No matter how amazing your new invention is or how charitable your service is, you can’t wait for the media to come rushing to you. You need to take initiative and pitch why they should feature you. And if they decline, you’ll keep at it, reaching out to other channels and finding alternative means to get the attention you seek.

While there are dozens of other important skills when working in Public Relations, you’ll want to ensure these particular qualities are regularly utilized.