Highlight any PR-related projects you have worked on, like managing social media accounts, creating press releases, or organizing events. This practical experience is valuable, even if it was unpaid or during school.

If you participated in internships, volunteering, or student organizations related to PR, include these details to show your hands-on experience in the field.

Emphasize your digital skills such as proficiency in social media platforms, content management systems, and graphic design software. These are crucial for public relations roles today.

Certificates in digital marketing or online communication are valuable. Mention any relevant courses or certifications you have completed.

Tailor your resume to show you have the skills for an entry-level role in public relations. Focus on what you learned and how it applies to the job. Be clear and specific. This helps hiring managers see how you fit. Do this even if your experience is from class projects, internships, or volunteer work.

• List communication tasks you've done, like writing press releases or managing social media accounts using phrases like Managed social media engagement.
• Show how you've dealt with the public or planned events, using action verbs and specific outcomes like Coordinated a community charity event with 200+ attendees.
• If you have experience from a different area, connect it to public relations tasks. For example, customer service work shows you can handle people well, using a phrase like Resolved customer inquiries efficiently, ensuring satisfaction.

When you create your resume, it's important to use words that show you're a person of action. Strong verbs give a clear and powerful picture of what you can do. Think about tasks you've done in past jobs or during internships that relate to public relations. Then, choose verbs that best describe your role in those tasks.

Remember, in public relations, you need to show that you can communicate well and build strong links with others. Your choice of verbs can help you do this on your resume. Here are some examples:

• To show your ability to engage audiences, use orchestrated, crafted, conveyed, liaised, championed.
• For demonstrating writing skills, include verbs like composed, drafted, documented, edited, articulated.
• If you've managed social media or campaigns, verbs such as curated, launched, promoted, monitored, analyzed work well.
• To highlight teamwork and collaboration, use words like collaborated, partnered, coordinated, networked, supported.
• When describing strategic thinking or planning, opt for devised, planned, formulated, implemented, executed.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Conduct, Managed, Negotiate, Developing, Juggle.

When crafting an entry-level resume for public relations roles, it's vital to show any leadership experience you have. Even if you're just starting out, you might have been a leader at some point. Think about group projects in school, volunteer work, or any clubs where you had a role in planning or guiding others.

Here are examples of how to list these experiences:

• Team leader for university's charity fundraiser, managing a group of 10 volunteers.
• Head organizer of community outreach program, leading initiatives to enhance local engagement.

These examples demonstrate your ability to take charge and guide a team. They are good indicators that you have the skills needed for public relations work. If you have been promoted, even in a part-time job, make sure to include that as well. A promotion is a clear sign that you have done well and can handle more responsibility.

When you are starting in public relations, focus on skills that show you can handle the tasks at hand. Here are some hard skills you might want to include on your resume:

• Press release writing
• Media list creation
• Event coordination
• Social media management
• Content creation
• SEO basics
• Analytics and reporting
• Research skills
• Public speaking
• Crisis communication

These skills are the tools you need for a strong start in a public relations role. Place them in a dedicated skills section, so they are easy to find. This helps with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that may scan your resume for relevant skills. Not all skills may apply to you, so pick those that match your experience and the job you want.

Remember to show proof of your skills in your work history. For example, if you managed a social media campaign, highlight it under your experience. This gives context and shows you can apply these skills.