If you hope to land a job in the communications field then you will have to master social media and the analytics that come with it, according to career experts.

The information was shared by Diana Middleton who wrote about “Landing a Job of the Future…” in the Dec. 29 issue of The Wall Street Journal.  

If you’re in the Web field then you will have to keep up with the latest in Web marketing, user-experience design and other Web-related skills.

As we continue to hear, social media has opened the door to the growth of new kinds of jobs. I recently hired a Community Manager. Her role is to engage in conversation and monitor the analytics of the social media platforms we use. I could have named the position, social media manager, but I deliberately wanted to convey that we are creating a world-wide community of supporters so I used a title specific to the job function.

My organization is not alone in creating social media teams. Coca-Cola Co., for example has done so. Ford Motor Company has, too, and its blogger, Scott Monty, is revered for his authenticity.

Middleton writes that “employment for public relations positions should increase 24 percent by 2018.  Job titles, like interactive creative director – will reflect the duality of the required skills sets.”

Other key skills will be search engine optimization to maximize Web traffic and marketing analytics to decipher the company’s target demographics. I admit, I knew nothing about SEO when I took this job, but I have read books, listened to Webinars and have asked hundreds of questions of my consultants so I’m up to speed.

When it comes to landing that next job be sure you have the skills in the emerging trends. Take an on-line course, read the books and attend the NFPW conference Aug. 26-28 in Chicago.