Elena Prokopets
Claire Briggs Webber, CPRW
“Thanks for Smoking”, “99 Francs”, and “Med Man” series are among the few media productions, illustrating the ups and downs of working in public relations. Indeed, PR is a dynamic field where you constantly need to keep an eye on the news, trends and pop culture buzz.
And when you are so heavily invested in creating an on-point attractive image for your employer (or clients), it’s easy to forget about personal branding.
If you’re pursuing your first or next job in PR, you are in the rtight place. In this post, we offer several quick tips for punching up your resume and other job application materials, followed by a public relations resume example. Feel free to add it to your “swipe” folder!
Place Your Accomplishments in the Spotlight
As a PR professional, you probably know that the key “talking points” should always receive the center spot. The same goes for your resume. Do your magic and communicate what you can do for the “public”:
- List the campaigns you’ve helped develop. Don’t hesitate to include links to videos, articles, press releases, etc.
- Brag some of your clients or industry contacts (with journalists, celebs, influencers, etc).
- Explain and/or quantify the results you’ve achieved.
For extra oomph, add some of these statements into your resume summary.
Make the “Little Things Count”
Small mishaps such as mistyped words, names or credentials can completely undermine otherwise epic advertising campaigns (or ruin some newly minted PR relationships). So don’t let that happen in your job application.
Thus, carefully edit and proofread your resume and cover letter before hitting the “send button”. In particular, re-check that:
- You’ve got all the names correct.
- There’s no minor spelling and grammatical errors
- Your formatting is stellar and there are no wonky design elements
Pss, you can grab one of our free creative resume templates to ensure the latter.
Add Your Social Media Handles
It’s an easy way to showcase that you are active and keep an eye on the industry developments. Include your Twitter handle as well as your LinkedIn page as part of your contact information. Also, link to your blog/portfolio website (if you have one).
PR pros in the creative industries (fashion, beauty, etc.) can also link out to their Instagram if it’s professionally maintained. Again, this will provide the employer with a better sense of who you are.
Customize Your Resume For Every Employer
Your cover letter should already provide particulars about your interest in this company or client. Still, that level of customization should also be a part of your resume content as well.
Emphasize exactly how you can help this particular employer by incorporating keywords from the job description and adding some transferable skills to the mix (especially if you are hailing from a somewhat different PR background).
Yes, this means that you will submit a distinctly different resume for each position, but the effort is worthwhile.
Resume Sample for Public Relations (Word version)
Download resume example (.docx)
Public Relations Resume Example (text version)
123 Main St.
New York, NY 10036
(555)123-4567
email@email.com
[website URL]
Twitter:[Twitter handle]Professional Summary
An experienced, driven PR professional who takes a proactive approach to building digital PR campaigns for direct-to-consumer startups and food brands. Core competencies include: media outreach (secured coverage in Forbes, NYT, TechCrunch, etc.), reputation management, viral video production, and crisis communications
Work Experience
The Digital Agency – Brooklyn NY (2015 to Present)
A Global Public Relations Firm Focusing on Startups and SMB Firms in The Technology Sector
Public Relations Account Manager
Overseeing accounts for clients with annual PR budgets exceeding $1 million. Assisting clients with PR campaigns, reputation management concerns, and helping startups build important connections with national media.
Achievements:
- Conceived and produced a promo campaign of 5 viral TikTok videos that collected over 5million views in 2 weeks after publishing.
- Secured launch coverage in TechCrunch, Forbes and Vogue Business for a new DTC fashion startup.
- Helped develop a social media strategy for a food startup that resulted in a 30% follower growth over 3 months.
Wright Cereals And Grains – Manhattan NY (2013 – 2015)
A local company producing vegan-friendly rice, cereal, and grain products for health-savvy customers.
Public Relations Specialist
Assisted PR managers and other specialists within the marketing department in the creation of many successful PR campaigns. Duties included writing press releases, providing written answers to media inquiries, and analyzing data from PR campaigns.
Achievements:
- Developed and nurtured relationships with 10 new journalists covering the food scene in NYC (Time Out New York, The Daily Meal and others).
- Assisted with an influencer outreach campaign that resulted in significant organic coverage for that brand. (see example posts).
Education
Hudson University (June 2013)
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications
Emphasis: Public Relations
GPA: 3.8
Awards and Memberships
- Associate Member National Society of PR Professionals (Current)
- Media Outreach Gold Medal Award Winner (2019)
Final Tip: Master The Art of Brevity
Don’t overwhelm your potential boss with too much information. Keep your resume on point. If you’re experienced, consider cutting off some of your non-PR job experience. If your resume is exceeding more than one page, it may also be time to edit out hobbies, interests, and volunteer work. You can even eliminate information about high school at some point. After all, if you have a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and five years of digital agency experience, most hiring managers aren’t going to be interested in where you went to high school.
