Examples & writing guide
Public Relations CV Example for 2026
Updated 31 July 2026
A strong public relations CV connects communication work to a clear result: better coverage, stronger stakeholder response or progress against a campaign objective. This guide shows how to structure that evidence and turn everyday PR work into convincing, defensible achievements. If your work focuses more on internal or organisational communication than media relations and campaigns, the communications officer CV guide may be a closer fit.
Examples by experience level
Junior Public Relations Assistant
TemplateNavy Atlas4 / 5
Why this works
This example turns limited experience into credible evidence through campaign outputs, audience research and measured results, while keeping every figure specific and defensible.
Continue writing your CVPublic Relations Manager
TemplateTeal Signal2 / 5
Why this works
This public relations CV sample connects campaign delivery, media relations, stakeholder communication and evaluation to specific, defensible results.
Continue writing your CVSenior Public Relations Director
TemplateBlue Horizon3 / 5
Why this works
This example shows clear progression from campaign delivery to department leadership, with defensible measures covering reputation, media performance, stakeholder relationships, budgets and team development.
Continue writing your CVJunior vs senior: what changes
| Aspect | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | Lead with transferable communication skills, relevant study, placements or campaign support, then name the type of PR role sought. | Lead with leadership scope, reputation or stakeholder work, campaign scale and two or three outcomes relevant to the target organisation. |
| Campaign evidence | Show how you supported day-to-day delivery against a defined objective, with clear ownership of research, content, monitoring or event tasks. | Show how you set direction, balanced several objectives, allocated work and remained accountable for campaign performance. |
| Media relations | Evidence accurate media lists, well-targeted pitches, coverage logging and professional contact with journalists or other media audiences. | Evidence media strategy, trusted relationships, judgement over story selection and responsibility for sensitive or high-profile communications. |
| Stakeholders and clients | Describe brief taking, information sharing, meeting preparation and dependable follow-up with colleagues, clients or stakeholders. | Describe senior counsel, competing stakeholder priorities, relationship ownership and influence over organisational decisions. |
| Measurement | Use clear measures such as coverage, social reach, event attendance or completion against agreed service levels, while stating your contribution precisely. | Connect campaign findings to organisational goals, explain how reporting changed decisions and show performance across a programme or portfolio. |
| Content and channels | Show accurate writing for different audiences and practical support across social, email, events, images, video or infographics. | Show editorial judgement, channel strategy, approval responsibility and leadership of teams or suppliers producing written and non-written content. |
How to write a public relations CV
Use a clean, reverse-chronological CV of one or two pages. Put your contact details first, followed by a tailored personal statement, core skills, employment history, education and any relevant extras. Keep headings conventional, dates consistent and the layout easy to scan.
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Personal statement | Your level, relevant PR setting and two or three strengths supported by evidence |
| Experience | Recent roles first, with concise bullets connecting actions to campaign or organisational results |
| Skills | Communication, research, evaluation, commercial awareness, collaboration, project management, IT, organisation and time management |
| Education | Awarded qualifications, dates and relevant academic work when it strengthens your application |
| Extras | Selected volunteering, publications, languages or portfolio links that add credible evidence |
Tailor the personal statement to the employer instead of describing yourself in general terms. In the experience section, prioritise achievements that match the role or client type, including evidence of client management, media communication or ethical practice where you genuinely have it. Skills should be specific enough to test at interview: name the task, channel or method rather than claiming that you are simply a "good communicator". Include written, verbal, presentation and interpersonal communication, but remove anything you cannot demonstrate.
For an early-career application, relevant university assignments, society work and volunteering can supply evidence of research, content production, planning and evaluation. More experienced applicants should make campaign scale, judgement, leadership and outcomes easier to find. Keep education brief once employment carries more weight, and use extras selectively.
Personal statement examples
Public relations account executive with experience supporting consumer and community campaigns against defined objectives. Writes audience-specific media and social content, maintains stakeholder information and turns coverage, reach and attendance data into clear reports. Known for organised delivery, thoughtful media communication and calm collaboration across overlapping deadlines.
Hard-working public relations professional looking for an exciting new opportunity. I am a people person with excellent communication skills, a passion for social media and the ability to work alone or in a team. I would be an asset to any company and am keen to develop my career.
Writing your experience
Write each experience bullet as a compact piece of evidence: action, scope and result. Start with what you did, add enough context to show its difficulty, then state the outcome. Public relations work can be measured through defensible figures such as content output, relevant coverage, social reach, event attendance, response time or progress against an agreed campaign objective. Numbers need context; "secured 18 pieces of coverage" is clearer when the reader also knows the campaign, period or target.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Helped with media relations | Researched 45 relevant media contacts and supported targeted pitching for a six-week community campaign, contributing to 12 pieces of coverage |
| Managed social media | Planned and wrote 24 audience-specific posts for a product campaign, reaching 86,000 accounts and exceeding the agreed reach objective by 14% |
| Reported campaign results | Logged coverage, social reach and attendance data across three campaign channels, cutting the monthly reporting turnaround from five days to three |
The stronger versions name the work, show its scale and explain what changed. They also distinguish contribution from ownership. Use "supported" or "contributed" when that is accurate; reserve "led", "directed" and "owned" for work you controlled. This makes junior evidence credible and senior evidence proportionate.
Useful verbs include researched, wrote, edited, pitched, coordinated, briefed, monitored, evaluated, reported, presented, advised, planned and managed. Choose the verb that reflects your actual authority. For media or stakeholder work, explain who the audience was and what you produced or communicated. For content, identify the format when useful, such as a press release, social post, feature pitch, image, infographic or live event. For evaluation, state the objective or measure used rather than calling a campaign "successful" without proof.
Review every bullet against the vacancy. Keep achievements that show the employer's likely problems: understanding goals, reaching different audiences, maintaining relationships, coordinating delivery and reporting results. Delete routine duty lists unless they establish necessary scope.
Key skills & ATS keywords
Hard skills
Soft skills
ATS keywords
Education & certifications
List education in reverse-chronological order with the qualification title, institution and completion dates. Recent graduates can add two or three relevant details beneath their latest award, such as an assessed campaign, audience research project, client brief or evaluation assignment. State what you produced and the result; do not paste module lists into the CV. Experienced applicants can usually reduce older education to one line per qualification.
An MA Public Relations may be useful for an entry-level account executive route because it develops relevant skills and understanding, but the supplied evidence does not establish it as a universal entry requirement. One MA Public Relations course is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations; recognition therefore belongs beside that specific course only when the applicant can verify it. Do not imply that every similarly titled course has the same recognition.
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations maintains a public register that includes its members and chartered practitioners. If that status applies to you, give the exact wording and make sure the entry can be checked. Do not shorten, upgrade or loosely paraphrase a professional status.
For any other education or training, record the exact awarded title and issuer rather than using a broad phrase such as "role-specific qualification". Separate completed study from courses still in progress, include an expected completion date where appropriate, and omit credentials that do not strengthen the application. Evidence from academic work can still support an early-career CV when it demonstrates writing, research, planning, media communication or ethical practice.
Common mistakes to avoid
AvoidListing duties such as "wrote press releases" without showing the purpose, audience or result.
InsteadTurn each duty into evidence: name the campaign objective, explain your contribution and add a defensible measure such as coverage secured, event attendance or social reach.
AvoidUsing one generic public relations CV for agency, in-house and public-sector applications.
InsteadMatch achievements from employment, placements or academic work to the advertised role and its client or audience type. Change the emphasis, not the truth.
AvoidClaiming strong communication skills but providing no proof of writing, presenting or relationship building.
InsteadPoint to specific work such as an audience-tailored release, a stakeholder presentation or media contacts developed during a campaign.
AvoidFocusing only on creative content and leaving out research, objectives and evaluation.
InsteadShow the full thread of your work: what you researched, which objective guided the activity and how you assessed the result.
AvoidNaming software without explaining how it supported communications work.
InsteadConnect tools to outcomes, such as maintaining a media database, monitoring coverage, scheduling social content or producing a campaign report.
AvoidUsing impressive-looking percentages or reach figures that cannot be checked or explained.
InsteadUse only figures you can defend. Give enough context to make the measure meaningful, including the time period, channel, baseline or your own scope of responsibility.
Frequently asked questions
For most applicants, two pages is a sensible ceiling. A recent graduate may need only one page, while an experienced candidate should still edit hard so that the strongest, most relevant campaigns appear first.
Yes. Draw evidence from university work, volunteering, societies, customer-facing jobs or events, then connect it to audience research, tailored writing, presentations, organisation and measured results. Be precise about what you personally did.
Use two or three sentences covering your level, the audiences or communications work you understand, one relevant strength and a result you can defend. End with the type of role or organisation you are targeting rather than a vague claim about passion.
No. Under British CV conventions, leave out both and use the space for relevant evidence. Include your name, UK location, mobile number, email address and an appropriate professional profile link instead.
No. Prioritise tools and channels that appear in the vacancy and that you can discuss confidently. A short example of how you used a media database, monitoring tool or social channel is stronger than a long unqualified list.
Translate earlier work into PR-relevant evidence without renaming your old responsibilities. Client communication, stakeholder relationships, research, presentations, project planning, deadline management and evaluation can all transfer when backed by a specific example.
From example to application
Turn this public relations example into a CV that sounds like you.
Keep the structure that works. Tailor the details around your experience, strengths, and the role you want.