More than anything else, what determines the long-term success or failure of most organizations and business enterprises is its reputation. Fortune 500 companies annually spend, well, A FORTUNE on crafting and shaping their public perception. This is usually done through their Public Relations department and / or personnel. If you have decided to go it on your own with developing your public relations resume, then there are certain concepts you want to ensure your reader easily grasps within the resume. Remember, you have 10 seconds or less for a resume to impress. The important concepts shouldn’t be hidden and hard to find.
Crisis Management
In the life of any company that had enjoyed any longevity, you can bet that an event will happen that can negatively affect the public perception. This is when a good public relations team steps in the control the narrative. When writing your resume be sure to provide examples of how your crisis management skills have helped save an entity’s reputation in the aftermath of a crisis.
Media Relationship Management
When you need to get a message or narrative out to the public, it helps to have connections and relationships that can quickly provide a pipeline to the most eyes and ears. As a public relations executive, your ability to build relationships with media professionals will be essential to your effectiveness. Your public relations resume should point out your experience in growing valuable relationships with media professionals who can be an agent in disseminating your message.
Industry / Sector Knowledge
Good communication is nuanced. A good public relations executive should be well versed in every aspect of the industry in which their employer or client is involved. You resume should communicate your knowledge of the industry’s trends and other players. It should also demonstrate your mastery of industry terminology and sector’s preferred communication style.
Social Media Strategy
The new century has brought about another outlet through which an organization’s message gets out to the public. Most every entity maintains social media accounts that allow direct access to the public. For some companies, social media is purely informational and simply to further cement the brand. For others, it is an additional sales portal that adds yet another revenue stream. A public relations executive has to have the ability to build an overall social media strategy that aligns with the organization’s objectives. Your resume has to show your skills in the development and maintenance of social media pages that bring eyeballs and delivers the desired message.
Press Release Writing
What better way to maintain the organization’s image in the public than to announce news and milestones? A good public relations executive resume will tell the reader of press releases written, as well as white papers. Well crafted press releases can sometimes lead to magazine or television interviews that move an entity’s brand to the next level. So your reader needs to be able to see this in your resume clearly.
Hopefully, these tips can help you in your quest for the perfect public relations resume. However, if you decide you need assistance in developing a resume that will bring consistent interviews, The Resume Clinic (A+ rating with the BBB’s Online Reliability Program) is here to help with a certified resume writing staff.
