Entry Level PR Advice

How to Write a Proper PR Internship Resume

by Patty

An excellent way for anyone interested in breaking into the PR field is to do an internship at a firm. If it is a reputable one, you will learn the basics of what is involved in the field, from writing press releases to setting up media events.

The tricky part can be getting a PR internship. There is considerable competition for such spots, so you cannot and should not think that just filling out a paper letting the firm know that you are interested in an internship guarantees you will receive one. In fact, many people lose out on the opportunity up front because their resumes are so unimpressive, the company leaders believe the potential applicants will perform a similarly sub par job at work.

Here are three big items to keep in mind for a successful PR internship resume:

1) Send Legitimate Samples of Your Work

School papers do not count as writing samples. If you are applying for a job as a writer, show me something that you have written professionally, such as for a newspaper, magazine or official company publication. You need to show the PR professionals that you understand AP style and what it requires.

2) Follow Directions For the Application

If you are submitting a resume by e-mail and it asks for no attachments, do not provide it with attachments. If they request no phone calls, do not call them. Whether you realize it or not, when a potential employer asks for you to submit info in a certain way, oftentimes it is because they are trying to determine if you are capable of following directions. If you fail this initial part, you are almost assured that they will discard your application from consideration immediately.

3) Check Your Application For Spelling and Grammar Errors

Misspell the company name on a resume? There goes any chance of working there. The same goes especially for putting down the wrong spelling of a person’s name – a big mistake to avoid. Take some time to read over what you are about to send, and make sure it has everything – EVERYTHING – in proper order and context, with no incorrect punctuation or incomplete sentences. If you have a doubt about anything, check on it, and if you cannot find the right answer, take it out and rephrase it in a way that makes sense to you.

Last but definitely not least, by all means, realize that Spellcheck all by itself cannot find every spelling error you have. The words can be right, but the context can be wrong for them. For example, Spellcheck will not flag someone writing “Can you here me?” even though it is incorrect.

And on that note …

Writing Tip for the Week

Writing “LOL” to a friend in an e-mail is perfectly fine. Using the same sort of abbreviations in business and professional letters is not. Avoid Internet acronyms in any official writing you do, particularly as you might be dealing with some older folk who do not understand what the acronyms represent. (For those of you confused by what was just mentioned, “LOL” stands for “laughing out loud.”)

Permalink |  Save on del.ico.us

Commenting is closed for this article.