Community Relations Specialist - Game Changers

A community relations specialist will manage River’s Edge Retreat public image. As a community relations specialist, the applicant will organize volunteers, assist with coordinating special events and implement community outreach programs. It will also be the applicants' responsibility to maintain the social media platform.

Responsibilities

Main responsibility as a community relations specialist will be to plan, implement and analyze public relations and marketing strategies that advance the organization’s mission and goals. Projects may include event planning (for example, open houses, sales events and fundraisers), volunteer coordinating and community outreach programs. Community relations specialists nurture connections with individuals and businesses or organizations that help support organizational goals. For instance, a community relations specialist may donate a business’s product to a school to create community awareness. May also be responsible for managing and utilizing social media to coordinate community relations.

Skills

A community relations specialist must have excellent written and oral communication skills. Must be team-oriented, with excellent interpersonal skills. As part of the budgeting and accounting process, the applicant must be able to evaluate the relative cost of a program compared to its benefits for the organization. Excellent persuasive skills, with the ability to be calm under pressure, may be required in positions that deal with sensitive or controversial subjects.

Education

Many entry-level community relations positions require a bachelor’s degree in communication, public relations, marketing or a related field. The coursework should include advertising, business administration, communication, finance, psychology, political science, public speaking, sociology and writing. Many businesses and organizations prefer some level of familiarity with the field (for example, education, health care, nonprofit management or sales). Internships and additional training through professional associations such as the Public Relations Society of America may increase the applicants' job prospects.