Job profile

Information Officer

Information Officer Job Profile

What is an Information Officer?

An Information Officer manages the arrangement, evaluation, and distribution of information both inside and outside of a business or organisation.

In communication with the public and the media, an Information Officer frequently assumes the role of spokesman. An Information Officer should feel at ease interacting with all sorts of individuals and be able to manage any contentious situation diplomatically. In the event that a crisis arises and needs to be handled, the job may be stressful and the work schedule erratic. The job of an Information Officer is suitable for those with strong communication and customer service skills. Computer, record-keeping, and clerical abilities are advantageous.

Responsibilities

As an Information Officer you may be  expected to:

  • Respond to client comments and offer guidance, information, and help
  • Respond to enquiries about products and services.
  • Provide information about the availability, location, and cost of products and services.
  • Refer difficult questions to team leaders or knowledgeable advisers
  • Provide interested parties with pertinent forms, information kits, and brochures
  • Use communication tools like public address and paging systems
  • Keep a record of all inquiries and complaints
  • Refer inquiries to other sources.

Salary

The salary for an Information Officer is influenced by experience, location and the company. 

The UK  national average salary for an Information Officer is £28,226, ranging from  £20,000 to  £40,000. The average salary for an Information Officer in London amounts to  £31,844, ranging from £23,000 to £45,000.

Working hours and work location 

Information Officers frequently work a nine to five workday. However, it truly depends on the type of information you are using. In fact, if you work for a global financial services company, you might need to adjust your working hours to accommodate the activities of various financial markets. Weekend work is uncommon. In this job role, it is feasible to work part-time and take career pauses. The work of an Information Officer is office based and usually located at the premises of the organisation that employs them.

As an Information Officer, you could work in any type of organisation or company.  Some of them  include:

  • Large private corporations
  • Start-up businesses
  • Government agencies 
  • Public institutions
  • Software companies
  • NGOs
What to expect

Some professionals in this industry are in charge of managing information inside the company or organisation. They could be in charge of creating recurring newsletters to inform all staff members of pertinent news. Another task some Information Officers conduct is writing articles for periodicals or journals. A public agency or commercial corporation may employ an Information Officer who works to promote positive PR and respond to unfortunate situations. They should have expertise in writing and be knowledgeable about how the media operates.

An Information Officer could double as a public affairs coordinator, depending on the agency’s needs. To draw tourists to these sites, an Information Officer employed by a park or recreation agency may offer tours and informative leaflets. When additional financing is required or fees are raised, an Information Officer may also provide background information about the organisation. The Information Officer may speak to community or school groups in this capacity to enlighten the public about how the organisation functions.

In the private sector, Information Officers frequently strive for favourable PR that will increase sales. In these cases, Information Officers could approach the media with news via personal contact and press releases. In addition to responding to information requests, Information Officers could create and disseminate marketing materials for the public and the media. Social networking networks are used by certain Information Officers to reach larger audiences. A frequent responsibility of an Information Officer, particularly in government institutions, is to provide information to the general public. In this position, an Information Officer typically has the expertise to swiftly gather, assemble, and make available necessary materials.

Qualifications

Any undergraduate degree in a relevant field will allow you to start a career as an Information Officer. To significantly increase your chances of landing an entry-level career, you should have a relevant degree, or even better a master’s degree in management, business, information technology, or public administration. Furthermore, a master’s degree in public administration may be required if the position includes working for a big firm or government body. In order to become an Information Officer, most employers typically require prior experience in the news industry.

Skills

Some of the skills that you will have to possess or acquire in order to become a successful Information Officer include:

must have skills:
  • Capacity to develop and carry out institutionally-based communication and public relations strategies and plans.
  • Ability to formulate policy, create and put into action new strategies and processes, and examine and re-engineer operations and procedures.
  • Excellent management and strategic planning abilities.
  • Understanding of media, public relations, and communication principles.
  • Understanding your employer’s mission, aims, and objectives.
  • Excellent interpersonal and community relations abilities, as well as the capacity to interact with and collaborate with members of varied communities.
  • Planning, structure, and staffing abilities.
  • Competencies in performance management and employee development.
  • Financial planning and management expertise.
  • Capacity to comprehend operational demands, evaluate complicated situations, and generate comprehensive, original solutions.
  • Capacity to make decisions on one’s own, as well as the ability to acquire, organise, and communicate information to the media and other internal and external audiences.
  • Exhibited an ability for confidentiality.
  • Prior experience interacting with the media.
  • Capacity to apply sound judgement and to give sound advice and counsel on strategic and/or important communication concerns.
  • Extensive knowledge of local and regional media contacts, or the ability to establish these connections fast.
  • The ability to write communications at the executive level for both internal and external audiences.

Work experience

The best way to prepare for a career as an Information Officer is to start off by working in a public relations entry-level position.

This is due to the fact that Information Officers carry out many of the same tasks as other relations professionals, therefore working in the field after graduation might help you further develop your talents. Aside from giving you the chance to learn from experts who are already well-established in the sector, gaining experience in public relations may also provide you access to insider knowledge about communication strategies and media norms.

It might be useful to become familiar with various media platforms as you gain expertise in public relations. Knowing which media outlets the public uses might be useful because an Information Officer’s primary duty is to communicate information from their organisation to the general public. Learning about the various social media platforms that a community utilises, for instance, might be useful if you want to post material that people can easily access and share with their peers.

Career prospects

As an entry-level Information Officer, the majority of your initial training will be spent familiarising yourself with internal procedures and systems.

But when you’ve become used to your job, you might be able to take advantage of training sessions provided by groups like the Information and Records Management Society (IRMS) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).

Most Information Officers join CILIP as chartered members after several years of service; some even advance to chartered fellow status with the organisation. Gaining professional status is essential for climbing the corporate ladder. The role of information manager is the next obvious step up once you have amassed sufficient experience as an Information Officer. As an alternative, you may decide to focus on a certain facet of information management, such as the creation of IM computer systems.

Employers

Related Courses

The University of the West of Scotland teaches this program at their London Campus, so you’ll be studying at the heart of the UK’s industry. This one-year, full-time curriculum is for students who have no prior expertise with computers or information technology. The course will help you learn much-needed IT expertise to help you prepare for a job as an Information Officer.

This is a full-time program provided at the University of the West of Scotland’s London Campus, in the heart of the UK’s economic core. Students interested in a career of an Information Officer will benefit from the one-year program, as it will prepare them for work in public and third-sector organisations. This class combines social science and communication.

Students can choose from a variety of start dates for this full-time program given by the University of the West of Scotland London over the course of two years and eight months. Industry experts, guest lecturers, and seasoned professionals are available to teach students at UWS London. The nicest thing about this course is that it is held on the London Campus, in the centre of the United Kingdom.

The University of West Scotland’s one-year full-time programme will equip you with the executive training you need to kick-start your career as an Information Officer and provide you with a solid base in accounting. This program is available at UWS’ London Campus, which is located in the heart of London’s economic district.

This Profile Includes...

Application guide

Please see below some further information on how you can apply and make your university application as smooth as possible.

Enquire Now

We are here to help and to make your journey as smooth as possible. Please use the relevant button below to enquire about a course you would like to apply to. After you submit your enquiry, one of our advisers will get back to you as soon as possible.