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Having graduated college—and perhaps even embarked on a successful professional career—you may have thought your test-taking days were safely behind you. But in today’s highly competitive job market, agencies and corporate PR departments expect candidates to possess a wide range of skills, including the ability to churn out basic press materials. That’s where the dreaded pre-employment writing assessment comes in.

From signage to social media ads to commercials, communicators are always on the lookout for chances to get more eyes on our brand. One time-tested way to slingshot brand awareness into the heavens? Publishing your very own book.

The goal of a comprehensive PR plan usually falls into three buckets: a) to increase awareness for a company or organization entering new markets, b) to increase awareness for a company or organization experiencing a slow-down in market segments or c) to increase awareness of a new product or division.

A professional bio is a bit like an auto club card, you may not need it very often, but when you do, you’ll be really glad you have one. All professionals and business leaders, from athletes to CFOs to pediatricians to DJs, should have at their disposal a few well-written paragraphs recounting career accomplishments. A brief bio is indispensable for use in social media profiles, websites, press releases, event programs, brochures, book jackets and more.

Corporations, particularly the largest ones, are increasing the demand on communications. In turn, PR pros need to augment their toolkits with a variety of digital skills, as well as analytical abilities, a new survey from The Conference Board says.

Failure is the mother of success. As business professionals, know this is 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, industry leaders share lessons learned from failure.

Each year, PR News celebrates its list of Top Women in PR, an elite group of communications professionals who have spearheaded highly successful campaigns in recent months. They’ve also mentored colleagues and ideated some of the most creative PR plans in the business. So, what does it take to be a Top Woman in PR? We sat down with 2019 Top Woman honoree Adriana Arvizo, external communications manager at Comcast, to find out.

Important lessons can emerge from tragedy. For Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO at Pure Performance Communications, the loss of a young family member inspired her to look at the communication gaps between millennials and other generations. Breakenridge will keynote PRNEWS’ Top Places to Work and Agency Elite Awards in November.

Social media has made listening easy, right? Not so fast. There’s listening and then there’s critical listening. It’s not hard to figure out which kind is more advantageous for communicators. Tips and thoughts about listening will help your career blossom.

Interns can contribute to your PR effort, hurt it or be inconsequential. The key to a successful internship program, argues PR pro Michelle Mekky, is to treat interns with respect, have enough work and guidance for them and avoid viewing interns as cheap labor.