Mr. Thomas Varvitsiotis, President of V+O was a key note speaker at the 2012 Conference "Panorama of Entrepreneurship and Career" that was held at the International Conference Centre in Megaro Moussikis, Athens and was organized by Mr. Iordanis Ladopoulos, Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business, and the Research Center of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship.
He was a member of the opening panel discussion which aimed to inform young people about trends and prospects for employment and entrepreneurship offered by the Advertising and Communication sectors.
Mr. Varvitsiotis referred to the global PR industry, where a relative recovery is occurring, in reflection to the new reality of Greece, where PR services are being questioned. The demand for new executives is significantly reduced while experienced PR professionals need a more rounded set of skills than they did 20 years ago.
He then talked about 3 key skills that a young PR professional should have, based on research results recently published in PR Week magazine.
These skills are:
Digital and social media skills: The use of social media is no longer limited to knowledge of Facebook and Twitter. PR professionals should be able to think through the scope of Integrated Campaigns, combining online and offline media which engage the public through different platforms and in multiple ways.
Perception of customer's business: An in depth understanding of the client’s business, function and specificities as well as the comprehension of financial and business objectives are necessary for an effective contribution to the customer’s decisions
Traditional skills: Maintaining a good relationship with journalists, editors, bloggers and online content producers, as well as retaining a high language level, strategic thinking, creativity and expertise in client relationship will always be vital.
Concluding the speech he said: “PR industry needs proffessionals with a clear perception of reality, who comprehend society, understand what is going on in the market and can read between the lines. They should be “Citizens of the world”, who sense that what is happening today in China or England will come very quickly to the Greek market as well. Skills such as professionalism and a daring attitude are equally important for a new professional who wants to stand out".
