To become a community relations manager, you need to have a solid background in marketing, communications, or customer service. The particular kind of background that is most beneficial in helping you find employment will usually vary between jobs. Different companies will have a variety of expectations for job candidates, so it is not realistic to try to be prepared for all community relations management jobs. For most positions, you will need to have a bachelor's degree in some aspect of business, communications, or human resources.
If you want to become a community relations manager, you will probably need to have several years of practical experience. There will be a certain amount of jobs, however, where a combination of education and experience will help you to land a job. Some employers will want candidates who have worked in a corporate environment. In some cases, companies may require applicants to have extensive hands-on customer service experience.
In order to become a community relations manager, you should try to gain some work experience dealing with sponsorship and volunteer activities, and organizing community events. If you have some background in coordinating charity or executive events, you will more than likely have an advantage over candidates who do not. To be effective in this type of position, you should also probably have an exceptional ability to put social activities together at short notice.
Anyone who wants to become a community relations manager should be comfortable speaking in public. With a lot of these jobs, it will be essential that you are at ease making speeches to large groups of people. You might even work for a company for which you will be required to speak in public forums where there is local or national media coverage.
Some jobs for community relations managers require quite a bit of travel. Depending on the company you work for, you may only have to travel locally, but there are some jobs that will require extensive overnight trips. You might also want to be prepared for having a certain amount of decision-making responsibilities.
Certain situations may require you to make sound business decisions in a relatively short amount of time. Along with this level of responsibility comes a fair amount of stress and pressure, which some people are not comfortable with. If you thrive on high activity and demanding situations, you will more than likely be an excellent candidate for community relations management positions.
