How can you future proof your comms career? What skills do you need, what are the trends and what do you need to know?
I’m delighted to have written a chapter of a brand new book #FuturePRoof: Edition Two, which is published today.
It’s the go-to guide for managers of agencies and communication teams to help them future proof their careers.
FuturePRoof: Edition Two is a collection of 39 new essays from authors around the world covering a range of topics including employee advocacy, internal communication, audience insight, influencer relations, tools and technology, agile strategy and business models.
The book concludes corporate investment in people and technology and an individual focus on continuous professional development (CPD) will drive the public relations industry forward.
There is also a clear prompt for practitioners to challenge management teams more and be much less risk averse. Tweet this
Agency owner and CIPR President-Elect candidate Sarah Hall, @hallmeister, is #FuturePRoof’s founder 
and editor.
The second edition builds on the success of the first #FuturePRoof guide, launched in October 2015, which secured over 2,500 sales and downloads.
#FuturePRoof is available in hard copy via www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk and on Kindle.
The foreword was written by Ketchum’s Stephen Waddington @Wadds, and it’s pleasure to have contributed to the publication.
Sarah (pictured) says: “The success of #FuturePRoof shows that public relations practitioners are aware of the direction of travel and are no longer prepared for other disciplines to eat their lunch. The public relations fight back starts here and now.
“Demand shows professionals want to close their competency gaps in order to provide strategic advice at management level.
“What’s more, the public relations industry is waking up to the fact that if we are truly guiding organisational strategy, it is common sense that other disciplines answer to us within the corporate hierarchy. I expect this narrative to get louder and louder.”
The book continues the discussion around key opportunities facing public relations, from convergence and skill set to Boardroom recognition and the pace of change.
Its aim is to assert public relations as a management discipline and demonstrate its value to organisational success.
My chapter
I wrote chapter 27 Internal Comms (IC): Learning from the past and emerging trends. Here’s a short extract:
There is no such thing as pure internal communication any more. Professional communicators need to acknowledge the blurred lines between internal and external comms and fast. Discover why it’s important and the opportunities ahead.
You’ll learn:
- How internal communication is evolving
- The importance of learning from the past
- Five trends IC pros need to know to #FuturePRoof their careers.
#FuturePRoof: Edition Two is dedicated to Dr Jon White, a guiding force and inspiration for the project. His book How to Understand and Manage Public Relations celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
#FuturePRoof is available in hard copy via www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk and on Kindle.
Join the conversation
To join the conversation follow @weareproofed and join the #FuturePRoof community on Facebook.
I hope you enjoy it, congratulations Sarah, Wadds and everyone involved.
I recommend the book for its practical, no-nonsense approach to helping practitioners take control of their careers and future proof themselves.
Further reading: See the books page for publications I’ve contributed to.
Invest in your career
Want to learn more about internal communication? Sign up to attend an All Things IC Masterclass.
These are one-day courses to enable you to boost your skills, get advice and guidance and meet fellow communicators.
Upcoming courses include:
Writing Skills Masterclass on 10 November and Strategic Internal Communications (for senior-level practitioners) on 1 December.
Masterclass attendees include professional communicators from the UN, Welwyn Hatfield Council, Sheffield Hallam University, St John Ambulance and Centrica.
See the All Things IC Masterclasses website to find out more information and book your space.
Find your next comms role
If you are thinking about changing your current role or would like to recruit, see the All Things IC jobs site to discover the latest vacancies.
You can also find them on Twitter @AllthingsICJobs. Roles range from internships to Global Comms Directors.
You can advertise for just £50+VAT per vacancy per week.
Post author: Rachel Miller
First published on the All Things IC blog 7 September 2016.
I like this Rachel, I think we all need to future proof our careers and this means taking ownership of them and not giving ourselves to our employees or organizations in an unhealthy fashion. It involves being the kind of person that your competitors would want to hire etc