How to hire a marketing & public relations associate

How to hire a marketing & public relations associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step marketing & public relations associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a marketing & public relations associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new marketing & public relations associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The marketing & public relations associate hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   Hiring the perfect marketing & public relations associate also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of marketing & public relations associates.

   Type of Marketing & Public Relations Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Marketing & Public Relations Associate	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$18-26
   Campaign Coordinator	A campaign coordinator is responsible for managing media campaigns and press communications for marketing efforts on business or other industry needs. Campaign coordinators perform administrative and clerical duties under the supervision of a campaign manager and develop event activities according to the campaign theme and requirements... Show more	$13-29
   Media Coordinator	A media coordinator acts as a communications professional in charge of developing and implementing target communications and advertising for various media platforms. Media coordinators plan, implement, and monitor the social media strategy of an organization... Show more	$16-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Stakeholder Engagement
   • Facebook
   • Email Campaigns
   • Twitter
   • ROI
   • Google Adwords
   • External Communications
   • Instagram
   • Web Content
   • Trade Shows
   • Market Research
   • SEO
   • Event Planning
   • Press Materials

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist with photography, video recording, video editing, broadcasting, managing SEO and website maintenance.
   • Manage all copywriting elements for live broadcasts and promotional commercials.
   • Leverage Facebook & LinkedIn to create awareness, drive consumer traffic to the company website.
   • Develop copy for websites using SEO techniques.
   • Prepare PowerPoint presentations and talking points for meetings.
   • Design advertising materials, digital press releases, newsletters and PowerPoint presentations.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your marketing & public relations associate job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A marketing & public relations associate salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, marketing & public relations associates' average salary in mississippi is 43% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level marketing & public relations associates earn 30% less than senior-level marketing & public relations associates.
   • Certifications. A marketing & public relations associate with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a marketing & public relations associate's salary.

   Average marketing & public relations associate salary

   $47,362yearly

   $22.77 hourly rate

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   Entry-level marketing & public relations associate salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

4. Writing a marketing & public relations associate job description

   A good marketing & public relations associate job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a marketing & public relations associate job description:

   Marketing & public relations associate job description example

   Awards are always in season and the Netflix marketing team is looking for a talented marketing professional to help manage Netflix Awards media campaigns across films, series, and documentaries.
   The Role
   
   The Awards Marketing Specialist will work on the cross-functional Awards team, developing and managing the media marketing campaigns for Emmys, Oscars, Guilds, etc. across outdoor, print, digital, TV, radio, and activations. We are looking for a marketer to manage day- to- day media plan execution and work alongside the internal teams (creative, publicity, social, content) to align on strategy and bring these campaigns to life. This person will work closely with and manage the agency on the development of media tactics and the ultimate execution of the campaigns.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   The ideal candidate is a strong strategist, can flourish in our unique company culture, and is eager to work among like-minded colleagues and embrace the company's philosophies
   
   Qualifications:
   
   + 5+ years of experience working in entertainment marketing and able to successfully strategize, execute and communicate innovative media marketing campaigns
   
   + Experience in media planning and media campaign management, including print, out of home, digital, TV, radio.
   
   + Understanding of the various communication channels (publicity, social, etc.) that lead to a successful marketing campaign
   
   + Experience communicating with talent is preferred.
   
   + Awards experience is a plus
   
   + Client and/or agency experience is a plus
   
   + The ideal candidate is high energy, motivated, has strong relationship-building capabilities and a capacity to work in a very fast-paced environment and manage higher volume workloads.
   
   Personality Attributes:
   
   + You are a proactive self-starter who does not need to be told what to do and will be resourceful in order to find solutions to any challenge.
   
   + You are passionate and curious about the Awards landscape across Films, Series and Documentaries.
   
   + You are organized with a strong attention to detail.
   
   + You are able to manage multiple tasks and shifting priorities under deadlines.
   
   + You are excited about advertising, driven to innovate and create disruptive campaigns that break the mold, generating earned media and social buzz.
   
   + You are scrappy and relentless in trying to problem-solve.
   
   + You thrive in a fast-paced and demanding environment, possess a high level of intellectual curiosity, and demonstrate strong judgment in the face of ambiguity.
   
   + You are an agile, goal-oriented personality, driven to succeed and always up for a challenge!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right marketing & public relations associate for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with marketing & public relations associates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit marketing & public relations associates who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your marketing & public relations associate job on Zippia to find and attract quality marketing & public relations associate candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting marketing & public relations associates requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new marketing & public relations associate

   Once you've found the marketing & public relations associate candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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