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As a PR specialist, you know that public perception is everything, but is your resume projecting the positive image you need to get ahead? Our tailored resume templates can help you manage your profile and make the connections to help your PR career truly soar.

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How does a business create and maintain the best brand image?

With the help of a public relations specialist, of course!

PR is more than just going to fancy events and meeting high-profile people. 
PR officers are the ones that connect the businesses with the public, ensuring seamless communication between the two. 

But, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what a PR specialist does. Interacting with customers aside, people in PR also work with social media teams, draft speeches, and evaluate the company’s public perception.

It is no wonder that the PR field is more competitive than ever, and getting a respective job requires a finely executed resume that does your public relations goals justice. 

Worry not, in this guide we will guide you through all the steps of how to write a resume that will earn you your dream PR gig.

So without further delay, let’s get started. 

The rise of the internet and social media, in particular, has increased the need for good public relations. Businesses have realized that maintaining a good brand image is more important than ever before.

However, despite the huge demand, you will also face fierce competitors. So now more than ever, candidates have to make sure they truly stand out.

And the first step to differentiating yourself from your competition is writing a good public relations resume.  But how does one do that? How can you make the perfect PR resume that will get you your dream job? 

Though it may seem like a daunting task, we are here to help.
Before we get into all the details, you can have a look at this exceptional public relations resume example. 

This should give you a general picture of what yours should look like.

Resume Example

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[Jane Robertson]

[Public Relations Coordinator]

[632 Duke Lane, Boston, MA 00617 | 123-456-7890 | jane.roberts@example.com]

Summary

A charismatic and persuasive PR specialist with 5+ years of marketing and social media management experience. Superb writer and presenter who has organized and delivered press releases to some of the most prominent tech companies. A team player capable of effectively working in a fast-paced environment.

Experience 

Public Relations Coordinator

Example, Boston, MA

• Expanded brand recognition to increase sales
• Collaborated with senior management in developing and executing public relations activities, including open days and television appearances
• Responsible for delivering and presenting an annual PR plan

Junior Communications Specialist

Company, Boston, MA

• Developed and maintained a social media strategy to increase product recognition
• Prepped content for the web and media
• Helped prepare and organize press releases and public events

Education 

Bachelor of Arts: Communication

University of Arizona – Tucson, AZ

August 2003 – May 2007

Skills

Fluent in Spanish and French, Proficient in the full Microsoft Office Suite

A job in public relations is not an easy one. You will be interacting between customers and the company, so having good communication skills is key in excelling in this area.

You want to prove to the recruits that you possess these crucial skills, and writing a stellar resume is one way of doing just that. 

With a well-written resume, you can showcase how good of a fit you can be for the company.

Additionally, competition in this field is stronger than ever before. So, it is vital that your resume truly stands out and outshines the others.

In this section, we will cover the different formatting types you have at your disposal. That way, you can choose the best way to present your experience and skills that will help you land your ideal job.

Public Relations Resume Format Type

Most of the time as a candidate, you get to choose the format in which you write and present your resume. 

Some employers may specify a format you have to use, but this is rare.

If you have the freedom to choose your resume format but aren’t too sure where to start, here are the most common types of resume formats:

• Reverse chronological resume—this is the most commonly used format, with a reason. Listing your work experience from oldest to newest is a concise and convenient way of presenting your past work.

• Functional resume—with this format, the candidate lists all of the skills they have accumulated during their professional journey. Because of this, functional resumes are also sometimes called skill-based resumes.

• Combined resume—this is a combination of the previous two formats.
  With this type, the candidate presents both the skills they’ve developed as well as the experience they’ve had.

Out of the three, we would recommend sticking with the reverse-chronological method. 

Later on, as you get more experienced in job hunting, you can try out other formats as well.

However, there’s more to writing a good public relations resume than just presenting your past accomplishments in the right order.

Make sure you have a dedicated contact information section in your resume. Here you have to provide your full name, a professional email, and an up-to-date phone number. You could also include your address and LinkedIn page, but this is often optional.

You should always provide skills and past experiences that are relevant to the job. 

This needs to be short and simple, as recruiters often spend just a few seconds on an application before deciding if they will call you back for an interview.

Need more help with formatting your resume? Check out our free resume format guide that goes much more in-depth in everything you need to know.

While writing your public relations resume and searching for information and help on the internet, please keep in mind that there isn’t one set template you can follow. 

Rather, how you write your resume will depend on the expertise you have in the field.

For example, seasoned veterans will write one type of resume while entry-level applicants will craft a very different resume. 

Here are the two different kinds of public relations resume profiles you can use based on your level of experience:

• Resume Summary
• Resume Objective

But which one should you use?

Well, a resume summary is suited for more experienced professionals who have lots of expertise in their sector. Here you can showcase your achievements and skills developed.

But what about people who have no experience in the field? How can they get a job?

In that case, you would want to write a public relations resume objective. 

Unlike a summary, this type of resume focuses more on your goals and aspirations in your chosen profession. 

The objective also includes the candidate’s education and personal qualities. It is perfect for an entry-level position.

Whichever one you end up going with, you need to keep the resume clear and concise, so don’t write more than 3-5 sentences. Think of this section as the highlight of your past experience.

Public Relations Resume Summary Example

The summary or objective section should ideally convince any recruiter that you are the perfect candidate. You have to convince them that they cannot overlook you.

Use these few sentences wisely, as they are key to your future job. They’ve got to catch the recruiters’ attention as they will likely have to look at countless other applications.

But how do you effectively do that?

Your summary, and application in general, should be tailor-made to the company you want to work for. Look at the job requirements, and adjust your resume summary to be specific to them. This also tells them that you pay attention to details, an important trait in the industry.

Also, try to include any profession-specific jargon and vocabulary. By doing this, you can show the recruiters that you are knowledgeable of the job you are aiming for.

For example, avoid writing something like this as the resume summary:

Instead, try writing something along these lines:

How to Write an Entry-Level Public Relations Resume Objective

If you are applying for your first job, or simply don’t have any work experience in public relations, don’t worry. In this situation, it’s best if you write an objective, rather than a summary.

With a well-written public relations resume objective, you aim to showcase your potential and how you can benefit the company.

Aside from explaining why you’re applying for the job, you should also list the ways you can contribute to the company. 

Additionally, this is a good place to present your education and the skills you’ve acquired along the way.

Most importantly, keep your writing clear and easy to read. The summary must catch the recruiters’ attention and paint you in the best light possible. 

Entry Level Public Relations Resume Objectives

Your resume objective is not the place to be modest. Instead, you want to present the best and most honest picture of yourself.

Naturally, you shouldn’t lie or deceive the employer. But at the same time, do not undermine your successes and accomplishments. 

Here is an example of a compelling public relations resume objective:

When it comes to writing a good public relations resume, there is arguably no part more important than the experience section. 

The candidate’s education is still important for their future job; however, nothing fully prepares someone for the demanding work public relations requires quite like practical experience.

With experience, you have the opportunity to demonstrate how important of an asset you can be to the company. 

Understandably, an entry level public relations officer won’t have much experience under their belt. However, this should stop them from being creative with this section.

Experience in public relations need not be solely from past work. You could include, for example, a project you were involved in during university. Or perhaps, you have collaborated with a certain organization or worked on some social media campaign. 

Either way, what’s important is that you show that you have marketable skills useful for the company you are applying for.

Here are practical tips that should help you better write the experience section of your public relations resume. However, these are just guidelines and you can modify them as you see fit.

• List your experience and contributions in a reverse-chronological format
• Use bullet points for your list, as this is much friendlier to the eyes compared to paragraphs
• Highlight your measurable contributions and accomplishments 
• Focus more on your skills, and less on a boring list of obligations
• List out the most recent and meaningful accomplishments, don’t include every position you’ve had
• Tailor the vocabulary and information to the position and company you are applying for
• Have clear and correct grammar and spelling

When applying for a public relations officer, you have to present that you have skills that correspond to the position’s requirements set out by the company! There are certain responsibilities that are necessary for the job.

Therefore, ensure that you incorporate some of the essential public relations skills. These include the ability to plan campaigns and strategies, clear verbal and writing communication skills, excellent presentation skills, IT skills, dealing with media agendas, to name a few.

Below is an example of how you should write the public relations resume section:

EXPERIENCE

Public Relations Coordinator

Balenciaga Headquarters, Denver, CO

2015 – present

• Prepared and delivered press releases and conferences
• Developed and improved a media strategy that boosted brand recognition and sales by 25%
• Expanded and maintained partnerships with multiple key partners 
• Supervised a social media team of 10 employees

Entry-Level Public Relations Resume: Experience Section

There is nothing more terrifying than joining the labor market for the first time. The competition is higher than ever before, and you may go up against people with years or even decades of more experience than you.

However, fear not, since every person has to start somewhere, and sometimes, a beginner is exactly what a company will ask for. 

While work experience is undoubtedly beneficial, it is not the be-all and end-all of a job application. Interpersonal skills, flexibility, initiative, and other core skills are equally as important and are necessary to get into the industry.

In fact, a company may choose to hire a new intern over a seasoned professional just because of their potential and ability to be molded into the perfect company representative. 

Oftentimes, entry-level candidates can also bring novel and exciting ideas that will benefit the company greatly.

Creativity is another quality that a successful candidate must possess to excel in public relations. You can demonstrate this in your resume even if you don’t have that much work experience.

Try to think of situations or times where you’ve helped with the growth of a social media account. Or, times when maybe you created press clippings for a friend or colleague—all these extras go in your resume. 

The sky’s the limit when it comes to this section. You can include anything as long as you can link it back to the position in some way.

Look at the example we’ve included below. This should help you get an idea of how to start your public relations intern resume:

EDUCATION:

University of Georgia, Athens, GA – 2016

BA in Communications

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING: 

MGH Advertising, Owings Mills, MD

Course in Public Relations Internship (Remote)

ADDITIONAL STRENGTHS: 

• Strong interpersonal skills
• Competent IT skills
• Awareness of multiple media agendas

Having extensive experience in the field will undoubtedly increase the odds that you’ll get the job—but what about your education?

You need to have sufficient knowledge and the qualification to prove it to shine in this cut-throat industry.

But, which degree or qualification is required? Well, that largely depends on the type of position and at which company you are applying.

Some businesses, especially smaller ones, may only need you to take a few courses in business or communication.

On the other hand, larger and more well-known companies may require a Bachelor’s degree, or even a Master’s degree to hire you.

Still, possessing a Bachelor’s in journalism, public relations, marketing, business management, or similar areas is a good asset to have at hand.  

As stated before, the main thing you should be focusing on is to relate the education you’ve earned with the aim of the job opening. Just listing mindless education information won’t cut it—you need to be sharp, to the point, and relevant. 

Public Relations Resume Education Section

So, what do individual companies require from their PR candidates?

Your best bet is to check the job description and the listing that the recruiters have put out. There, you can usually find the minimum requirements, as well as what they recommend.

Don’t worry though. Below we have included a sample public relations education section that will hopefully give you some ideas on how to write your own section:

EDUCATION:

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2008-2011

BSc. Degree in Business Management

GPA: 3.8

Companies are looking for the perfect candidates to fill out the position they have—one of the main ways they evaluate which applicant is the right fit is by their demonstrated skills.

Because of this, you want to be a bit picky with the skills you include in your resume. 

Try to focus on quality over quantity, and always include only the skills that are relevant to the job, instead of everything you can do. 

The easiest way to do this is to start with a spreadsheet where you include every skill and strength that you think of. Then, rank them in terms of importance and relevance to the job listing.

Another thing you can do is study the job listing that the employer has put out. Try to include any talents they are looking for. 

While you can have some flexibility in this section, there are some certain skills that are almost universally wanted in the public relations sector. Here is our list of some of the hard and soft skills you should consider including:

Top 5 Hard Skills for a PR Resume

• Pitching—being independent and having initiative is huge in this industry
• Networking—you will work with many people, so you have to be able to network effectively
• Managing media contacts and relationships—working with different media organizations is essential
• Strategic product placement—you will have to know how to effectively incorporate the company’s products in communication
• Brand Management—ultimately, you will likely be the public’s contact point with the company

Top 5 Soft Skills for a PR Resume

• Composure—dealing with lots of people can be stressful, so you have to be able to keep your cool
• Collaboration—you have to be able to work with multiple parties to get things done
• Flexibility—being able to adapt to any situation will benefit you greatly 
• Curious Nature—you should be up to date with what is happening in the world and the company’s area
• Teamwork—you will be working with many people in multiple departments, you have to be a team player

Now that we’ve gone over the main sections you should include in your resume, you might be wondering if there’s a way to go above and beyond the basics?

After all, public relations is a very competitive field, and you want to truly stand out among your competitors.

This is where the other section comes in. Here, you can include your accomplishments outside your academic or professional journey.

But again, as always this has to link back to the prospective job in some way.

For example, you can mention any interests or hobbies you may have that connect to public relations. Alternatively, you can include awards and certifications that you have acquired or any conferences you have attended.

Public Relations Resume Sample “Other” Sections

The other section is meant to paint a fuller picture of who you are as a person and should go beyond what the rest of the resume contains. 

So, use this section to tell more about yourself and what you do outside work or education. But ideally, whatever you write here should benefit your job as a PR specialist in one way or another.

Here is a good example of how you want this section to look like:

OTHER:

• Fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese
• Attended a National public speaking conference
• Volunteer for a local IT outreach program

And this brings us to the end of this guide. We’ve certainly thrown a lot at you, but hopefully, all this advice will be useful in getting that dream job in public relations.

The main takeaway is that the key to a successful PR resume is displaying the perfect combination of your skills, education, and experience.

Writing a short and sweet resume that grabs the recruiters’ attention is the gold standard that every PR professional should aim for. Please use our tips, examples, and free templates to make the most of your resume.

Good luck in your future job hunts, PR the heck out of that resume!