Make public relations work for you.
Because the public relations industry is so vast, there are many job titles one can hold after earning a public relations degree. The good news about looking for a job in public relations is that it’s likely that someone has already been in your situation.
Whether you’re newly graduated, stuck in a job you hate, or on the prowl for a new gig, there is something in PR out there for you.
If only there were a functional Tinder for the job hunt. Until someone creates that platform, I’m here to tell you all the public relations jobs you can explore. Then, once you’ve been inspired, you can check out expert tips from our rockstar PR pros.
If you’re here for the expert tips, feel free to jump ahead to 10 tips on breaking into public relations.
I’ve gathered 50 job titles for people with a public relations degree. Every company needs to maintain a public image for success so you can be a little picky when on your job hunt depending on your interests.
Crafting your PR resume is an obvious first step when applying to jobs. But what else helps you land your dream gig? These expert tips will help you launch your public relations career.
“Pitch yourself! If you are looking to get into PR, show your pitching skills by convincing an employer to hire you the same way you might pitch a reporter on a story. Get creative! Use a subject line that will get them to click. Draft an email that sucks them in early. And explain! Tell them how you went about deciding to pitch yourself the way that you did. What was your strategy and how will you bring that same energy to one of their biggest clients.
- ”Sarah Segal, Co-founder at Voorhees Segal Communications
“NO TYPOS on your resume or email, we are professional communicators, show us you care and you aren’t someone who barely graduated. I don’t want to have an editor for your work, I want it to reflect someone who has spent time learning the professional part of PR, good writing is PR!”
- Emily Reynolds, Founder of R PR Firm
“ Attending PR boot camps or other educational events works well. You'll get knowledge, contacts, and most likely job opportunities as agencies are often participating/sponsoring such events. Very often they are on a lookout for new talents. You might not get your job on the very first event, but it will help you to polish your competencies. Be persistent and make sure to be proactive as just being in the room doesn’t help to get things done.”
- Vera Mayuk, Head of Public Relations at bpm’online
"It's not what you know, it's who you know. Network as much as you can, take people out to lunch/coffee/drinks, volunteer and offer pro bono work in the beginning and be a resource. Look into how you can use social media, are you following key players on Twitter, Instagram and have you joined all of the relevant Facebook groups? Lastly, join some professional organizations such as PRSA, Common Wealth Club and Churchill Club.”
- Erin Lumley, Partner at Ingrid Marketing
“First and foremost, be authentic and don’t be shy about touting your special skills or talents. If you’re bilingual, multilingual, have amazing organizational skills or have a special gift for analytics and research, ensure potential employers are acutely aware of what may set you apart from your competition.”
- Marco Antonio Gonzalez, VP of Public Relations and Corporate Affairs at LBI Media/EstrellaTV
“I recommend that applicants compare their skills to specific aspects of the job description to identify transferable skills. What skills are the most transferable — and thus the best to highlight — will depend on the role and the industry it serves. For example, our agency writes content on behalf of our B2B SaaS clients, so experience writing for B2B or technology companies would make a candidate stand out. On the other hand, a consumer brand looking for someone to handle internal communication might not weigh that experience as highly.”
- Anna Julow Roolf, VP of Talent Acquisition at BLASTmedia
“The best way to get a job in PR is to achieve results, so you can show examples of actual achievements worth paying for.”
- Krystal Covington, Corporate Communications and Marketing Consultant at GO Lead,
“In order to stand out from other applicants, the most important skill a PR Practitioner must have is their ability to write and communicate. Every company/client has detailed messaging, a goal and/or a call-to-action that a PR practitioner must convey in a confident and concise manner when pitching media for coverage, writing press releases, creating content for publication, etc.”
- Alex Petrucelli, PR Manager at EGC Group
“Today, PR professionals need to be tech savvy (have experience working with the latest apps and automation platforms) and know how beneficial link building is. In today's digital world, it's essential to write quality content that people want to share, which ultimately brings traffic back to your site. In an interview, show how you plan to use data to create relevant digital PR campaigns rather than "hoping" that certain ideas work out. Show how you will make them work!”
- Ashton Meisner, Media Relations and Marketing Manager at Directive
“When applying to a specific agency, please do your research and customize your intro email so the person receiving the email understands that you know a bit about the PR firm and its client base.”
- Diana Bianchini, Founder and President at Di Moda Public Relations
Prepare for the worst and expect the best. Go into your interviews with confidence, and apply these tips to ensure a successful career in public relations.
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