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Chief communications officer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted expert
Hans Schmidt Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical chief communications officer skills. We ranked the top skills for chief communications officers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.8% of chief communications officer resumes contained crisis communications as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a chief communications officer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 chief communications officer skills for your resume and career

1. Crisis Communications

Crisis communication refers to the communication systems, protocols, and technologies in place that enables an organization to effectively communicate both internally and externally during any major critics or threat faced by the business. Crisis can include major natural disasters, cyber-attacks, product failures, corporate mistakes, PR incidents, reputation crisis, and so on. Crisis communication is critical for reducing the impact of the crisis on the company's operations and public image.

Here's how chief communications officers use crisis communications:
  • Developed and executed communications, marketing and crisis communications strategies for high profile athletes and executives.
  • Developed crisis communications plan and served as point-person during national abuse crisis.

2. External Communications

External communications refer to the exchange of information between the organization one is working with and another organization.

Here's how chief communications officers use external communications:
  • Create and manage all internal and external communications efforts around negotiations with collective bargaining groups.
  • Engaged organization stakeholders by creating and implementing new internal and external communications plans.

3. CCO

Here's how chief communications officers use cco:
  • Separated important operational CEO duties into COO and CCO positions in order to lead our company more effectively.

4. Press Releases

Here's how chief communications officers use press releases:
  • Directed all press releases and outside media communications pertaining to all current issues affecting the Federation and the donor base.
  • Create, Implement & Manage Communications Ministry, Branding, All Print & Digital Media, Press Releases.

5. Community Relations

Community Relations refers to the relationship-building strategies companies use with surrounding communities. These relationships are often mutually-beneficial, where a company will support local organizations and communities and receive a stronger customer basis. This differs from public relations, as the focus of community relations is building relationships and goodwill within a community rather than presenting a company's work to the public.

Here's how chief communications officers use community relations:
  • Managed and influenced local community relations outreach.
  • Key content channels and tools included social media, visual communication, publications, community relations and digital marketing.

6. Strategic Communications Plan

Here's how chief communications officers use strategic communications plan:
  • Developed and implemented a strategic communications plan resulting in uniform messaging across organization.
  • Develop classified and unclassified strategic communications plans, fact sheets and white papers on agency and inter-agency activities.

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7. Employee Engagement

Here's how chief communications officers use employee engagement:
  • Created and provides on-going guidance to the department's Employee Appreciation Program, and all internal employee engagement efforts.
  • Strengthened strategic positioning of Company as industry leader by building market awareness, boosting employee engagement and enhancing company image.

8. Public Affairs

Public Affairs refers to the relationships a company has with its investors and stakeholders. Depending on the size of the corporation, multiple departments may be required to balance the various aspects of public affairs, including any media interaction, government relationships, strategic information reveals, and discussing and managing any company problems.

Here's how chief communications officers use public affairs:
  • Organized and executed all communications, public relations and public affairs regarding company's services and products.
  • Managed lobbying efforts with general managers and public affairs coordinators targeted to state and federal elected officials and associated staff.

9. Issues Management

Here's how chief communications officers use issues management:
  • Provided executive leadership with public affairs and communications counsel concerning issues management, media training, brand management and company acquisitions.
  • Implement and direct stakeholder group issues management programs that earned regulatory acceptance and stakeholder approvals.

10. Communications Media

Here's how chief communications officers use communications media:
  • Write material for release to various communications media.

11. Public Events

Here's how chief communications officers use public events:
  • Planned, prepared, traveled and staffed the Governor during public events pertaining to any issues under my purview.
  • Appeared on behalf of the Party at public events and debates, and on television and radio.

12. Press Conferences

Here's how chief communications officers use press conferences:
  • Plan and execute media events and press conferences to announce district initiatives and partnerships.
  • Organized press conferences, public meetings, and special events within the community.

13. External Audiences

External audiences refer to groups or individuals outside the company, who aren't closely related, don't have inside information about the organization, and have no common background (unlike internal audiences). To grow its business, a company needs to define the external audience within its target audience.

Here's how chief communications officers use external audiences:
  • Managed dissemination of consumer information to internal and external audiences through multiple communications channels with a high level of accuracy.
  • Developed all executive materials for quarterly web casts for executive leadership team for internal and external audiences.

14. Graphic Design

Graphic design is the art of making visual content to communicate messages. Designers apply different page layout methods and visual hierarchy by using letters and pictures to meet the need of end-users. Most companies use graphic design to sell their product or services and to convey complicated information by using infographics.

Here's how chief communications officers use graphic design:
  • Directed creative team including public relations manager, marketing manager, graphic designer, administrative coordinator, and multiple agencies.
  • Supervised graphic designer and communications volunteers; collaborated with program coordinators to promote events, performances and fine arts instruction opportunities.

15. Strategic Direction

Here's how chief communications officers use strategic direction:
  • Participated in task team to set sustainability strategic direction and program.
  • Led the strategic direction for social media content aligned with the Marian brand and mission.
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What skills stand out on chief communications officer resumes?

Hans Schmidt Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Communications, Coordinator, Schreyer and Cooper Honors Programs, Penn State University, Brandywine

It is important to have a wide range of communication skills -from effectively participating in and leading meetings to write in style appropriate for the setting to media productions skills. When people move into the "manager" role, of course, this entails having developed a broad awareness of the culture at that particular organization and the skills needed to lead a group of people. So, really, skills related to communication touch on a wide range of job functions and responsibilities.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about chief communications officer

List of chief communications officer skills to add to your resume

Chief communications officer skills

The most important skills for a chief communications officer resume and required skills for a chief communications officer to have include:

  • Crisis Communications
  • External Communications
  • CCO
  • Press Releases
  • Community Relations
  • Strategic Communications Plan
  • Employee Engagement
  • Public Affairs
  • Issues Management
  • Communications Media
  • Public Events
  • Press Conferences
  • External Audiences
  • Graphic Design
  • Strategic Direction
  • Reputation Management
  • Community Engagement
  • Media Management
  • Government Relations
  • Corporate Communications
  • Law Enforcement
  • Facebook
  • Community Outreach
  • Communications Counsel
  • Intranet
  • Twitter
  • Market Research
  • Content Development
  • EMS
  • Communications Efforts
  • External Agencies
  • Communications Professionals
  • Brand Development
  • Communications Support
  • Business Plan
  • Rebranding
  • ROI
  • Global Communications
  • YouTube
  • Public Schools
  • External Stakeholders
  • Business Development
  • SEO
  • Writing Press Releases
  • Professional Development
  • Communications Systems
  • HR

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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