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Demand for public relations agencies continues to grow. But with the entire concept of strategic communications quickly evolving, the business model of the agency needs to be reassessed and, often, modernized and right-sized. Here are some considerations as a jumping off point.

PR pros and the company executives they collaborate with often become friends. After all, working closely on everything from brainstorming to crisis communications can be incredibly bonding. The questions arise when colleagues becomes friends and then find themselves working together. Can friends transcend the client-PR firm structure? These tactics will help.

Most of the time you should just say no to Facebook, target tweets carefully and, most importantly, embrace LinkedIn and its tools. LinkedIn exists to help people and businesses connect, and an effective strategy will put your story in front of a large audience. It is best used as a platform to highlight your thought leadership, announce the good stuff you’ve got going on, and put your savvy people up front to let them shine.

Fall is right around the corner, and while it marks a new school year on the calendar for many students, parents and teachers, it may also inspire a change up for your current job situation. Whether you are just starting your career, wanting to move up the corporate ladder or just expand your network, there are right and wrong ways to go about applying for jobs and the interview process. Take this quiz to see if you are on the path to success, or need a little brush-up on your job-seeking skills.

There is a proverb that says, “Failure is the mother of success.” And we, as business professionals, know this to be true. Struggle is the best educator. And innovating and failing fast has become a top business strategy. In this PRNEWS series, in partnership with the Institute for Public Relations, some of the most successful leaders in the industry will share the lessons they have learned from failure.

Journalism remains one of the most volatile careers due to industry mergers, political attacks, and the gutting of resources to maximize profits. In the past month we’ve seen GateHouse Media announce an incorporation with Gannett and CBS combining its assets with Viacom, withering away an already sparse news ownership scene. While an important and exciting job, for some the pressures and layoffs are too numerous and frequent, and enough is enough.

Let’s face it: You don’t have to be running PR for Donald Trump to find yourself mired in the muck with a difficult client. This is a common situation for those in PR and communications and it causes a lot of stress and anxiety. So it’s important to know how best to deal with challenging clients, both to minimize the psychological impact on you and also ensure you deliver quality results for the client.

A candidate’s resume doesn’t tell the whole story. Emotional intelligence is not quantifiable on a CV but it has been identified as the number one quality you need in a new employee. So it’s important first to understand what EI is, and then use your interviewing skills to suss out clues. Here’s how.

Veteran PR pro Arthur Solomon assembles a checklist comprising the traits he thinks would make the perfect PR pro. The idea for this exercise is based on an assignment a brand executive gave him years ago, when he was with Burson-Marsteller. Despite the myriad changes in PR since that time, the traits he chose then don’t seem very different from those he says he’d pick today. They include a mix of media relations skills, integrity, and creative thinking.

It’s not all about eye contact or presence. Public speaking is like an expensive watch: There’s an almost incalculable amount of highly intricate machinery working behind the scenes to keep it running smoothly. The speaking—like telling time—looks effortless, but it takes many highly coordinated pieces to function. If you are representing your brand on stage, here’s how you make sure you’re doing it right.