Essential Public Relations
Skills to Put on Your Resume
Stand out in the competitive public relations industry with the right mix of technical expertise, patient care abilities, and professional skills that employers value most.
Industry Overview
as of September 24, 2025
Public Relations professionals shape and maintain organizational reputation through strategic communication across traditional and digital media channels. They craft compelling narratives, manage crisis communications, and build relationships with journalists, influencers, and key stakeholders. The field spans corporate communications, agency work, nonprofit advocacy, and government relations. Modern PR integrates social media management, content creation, and data analytics to measure campaign effectiveness and audience engagement.
Expected annual job openings by 2027
85K
Job growth rate
Faster than average
Med. Annual Salary
$62,000+
Why Resume Skills Matter More Than Ever for Public Relations Industry?
Media relations skills signal your ability to secure valuable coverage and maintain journalist relationships. Strong press contacts and pitching expertise directly translate to earned media value for organizations. These capabilities often determine campaign success and brand visibility in competitive markets.
Crisis communication competencies demonstrate your capacity to protect organizational reputation during challenging situations. Quick thinking and strategic messaging skills become invaluable during high-stakes scenarios. Employers prioritize candidates who can maintain brand integrity under pressure.
Digital platform proficiency shows your understanding of modern communication channels and audience engagement strategies. Social media expertise and content creation abilities are essential for reaching diverse demographics. These skills directly impact brand awareness and customer relationship building.
Writing and storytelling abilities form the foundation of all PR activities from press releases to social content. Clear, compelling communication skills differentiate messages in crowded media landscapes. Strong writing directly correlates with campaign effectiveness and media pickup rates.
Analytics and measurement skills prove your strategic approach to communications and ability to demonstrate ROI. Data-driven insights help optimize campaigns and justify PR investments to leadership teams. These competencies elevate PR from art to science in organizational decision-making.
Relationship building expertise indicates your capacity to cultivate long-term partnerships with media, influencers, and stakeholders. Strong networking abilities create opportunities for earned media and collaborative partnerships. These skills often determine the reach and credibility of PR campaigns.
How to Choose the Right Skills for Your Public Relations Resume
Match Industry Requirements
Align skills with specific PR sectors like tech, healthcare, or nonprofit communications. Different industries prioritize different expertise areas and communication styles.
Balance Creative and Analytical
Include both storytelling abilities and data analysis skills to show strategic thinking. Modern PR requires both creative content creation and measurable results.
Highlight Platform Expertise
Specify social media platforms, media monitoring tools, and PR software you've mastered. Technical proficiency demonstrates efficiency and modern communication understanding.
Show Crisis Readiness
Include crisis communication and reputation management skills for senior roles. These competencies are highly valued and often differentiate candidates.
Emphasize Relationship Skills
Highlight media relations, influencer partnerships, and stakeholder engagement abilities. Relationship building is fundamental to PR success.
Include Writing Variety
Specify different writing formats like press releases, social content, speeches, and newsletters. Versatility in communication formats increases your value proposition.
The Challenge of Choosing Resume Skills
Public Relations encompasses diverse specializations from media relations to crisis communications, making skill selection complex for job seekers. The field rapidly evolves with new digital platforms, measurement tools, and communication strategies emerging regularly. Many candidates struggle to balance traditional PR competencies with modern digital marketing skills, while others oversaturate their resume with every platform or tool they've touched. The challenge lies in identifying which skills truly differentiate you in your target market segment.
Our guide provides curated skill recommendations based on current market demands and hiring manager priorities. We help you identify the most impactful skills for your experience level and target roles, ensuring your resume passes ATS screening while showcasing relevant expertise that hiring managers actively seek.
Essential Public Relations Skills
Professional templates for every interview situation.Copy, customize, and send with confidence.
Hard Skills
Hard skills are practical, job-specific abilities that can be learned and measured. Public Relations workers use a variety of hard skills to function well in their roles.
Soft Skills
Public Relations workers rely on soft skills to build trusting relationships with patients, understand their needs, and address their concerns.
Technical Skills
Technical skills are vital to the public relations industry because they help public relations workers assess conditions accurately and make informed clinical decisions.
Example Template of a Public Relations Resume
Public Relations resumes typically include a title, personal information, a resume summary, a skills summary, experience, education, and certifications section. You may also have additional sections such as accomplishments, accolades, awards, and publications.
Sarah Chen
Professional Resume Summary
Results-driven Public Relations specialist with 5+ years of experience managing integrated communication campaigns for Fortune 500 clients. Proven track record of securing tier-one media coverage and managing crisis communications that protected brand reputation. Expertise in digital storytelling, influencer partnerships, and data-driven campaign optimization. Strong relationships with business, lifestyle, and tech media outlets across traditional and digital platforms.
Education
(University name and degree awarded in reverse-chronological order; also include residencies or fellowships, if applicable)
Skills
• Media relations and press coverage securing
• Crisis communication and reputation management
• Social media strategy across multiple platforms
• Creative storytelling and brand messaging
• Collaborative leadership with cross-functional teams
• Data analysis using Google Analytics and PR tools
Work History
Senior Public Relations Specialist
Weber Shandwick | 2022 - Present
- • Secured 150+ media placements for tech clients, generating $2.3M in earned media value and 45% increase in brand awareness.
- • Led crisis communication response for data breach incident, maintaining 89% customer retention through strategic messaging and stakeholder engagement.
- • Developed influencer partnership program that reached 12M+ social media impressions and drove 25% increase in website traffic.
- • Managed integrated campaigns across 8 social platforms, achieving average engagement rates 40% above industry benchmarks.
Public Relations Coordinator
Edelman | 2020 - 2022
- • Coordinated product launch campaigns for 5 consumer brands, resulting in 200+ media mentions and 15% sales lift in launch quarter.
- • Built media database of 300+ journalist contacts and achieved 35% response rate on press outreach campaigns.
- • Created content calendar and managed social media accounts with 500K+ combined followers, growing engagement by 60%.
- • Supported event planning for 12 press conferences and product launches, managing logistics for 100+ attendees each.
Why You Should Use Our Public Relations Skills Guide?
Our Public Relations skills guide is developed by industry experts who understand current hiring trends and recruiter priorities. It's based on analysis of thousands of successful PR job applications and hiring manager feedback from top agencies and corporations. The guide ensures your skills section passes ATS screening while highlighting competencies that differentiate you in interviews. Following our recommendations significantly increases your chances of landing interviews and advancing through the hiring process.
ATS Optimization
Our skill recommendations are calibrated to pass applicant tracking systems used by major PR agencies and corporations. We identify the exact keywords and phrases that trigger positive ATS scoring for PR roles.
Market-Aligned Expertise
Skills are curated based on current industry demands and emerging PR trends like digital storytelling and crisis management. We help you stay ahead of market shifts and position yourself competitively.
Experience-Level Matching
Recommendations are tailored to your career stage, from entry-level coordinator roles to senior director positions. We help you avoid overqualifying or underrepresenting your capabilities.
Interview Preparation
Each recommended skill comes with context for discussing your experience and impact during interviews. We help you prepare compelling examples that demonstrate your PR expertise effectively.
Specialization Guidance
Whether targeting agency work, corporate communications, or nonprofit PR, our guide helps you emphasize the most relevant skills. We provide sector-specific recommendations that align with hiring manager expectations.
Explore Skills for Deeper Roles
Corporate Communications Manager
Corporate Communications Manager is essential skills for Corporate Communications Manager positions to enhance your resume and advance your professional journey.
Crisis Communications Specialist
Crisis Communications Specialist is essential skills for Crisis Communications Specialist positions to enhance your resume and advance your professional journey.
Social Media Manager
Social Media Manager is essential skills for Social Media Manager positions to enhance your resume and advance your professional journey.
Brand Marketing Manager
Brand Marketing Manager is essential skills for Brand Marketing Manager positions to enhance your resume and advance your professional journey.
Content Marketing Specialist
Content Marketing Specialist is essential skills for Content Marketing Specialist positions to enhance your resume and advance your professional journey.
Media Relations Coordinator
Media Relations Coordinator is essential skills for Media Relations Coordinator positions to enhance your resume and advance your professional journey.
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