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Public relations counselor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Kevin Pearce Ph.D.,

Anne O’Neill

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical public relations counselor skills. We ranked the top skills for public relations counselors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.9% of public relations counselor resumes contained criminal justice as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a public relations counselor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 public relations counselor skills for your resume and career

1. Criminal Justice

Here's how public relations counselors use criminal justice:

Researched criminal justice reform options for the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Commission.

2. Legal Issues

Here's how public relations counselors use legal issues:

Performed legal research and analysis on legal issues pertaining to Eviction Defense.
Researched legal issues and wrote legal memoranda.

3. Communications Counsel

Here's how public relations counselors use communications counsel:

Provided media training and communications counsel for key PR accounts.

4. Legal Research

Here's how public relations counselors use legal research:

Conducted legal research for criminal law matters pertaining to 4th, 5th, and 6th amendment issues.
Served as a Legal Secretary providing support to three staff attorneys and agency's legal research staff.

5. Litigation

Here's how public relations counselors use litigation:

Represent indigent criminal defendants in all aspects of appellate litigation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts courts.
Developed cutting-edge research and in-depth understanding of mass tort litigation involving the pharmaceutical industry.

6. Motion Hearings

Here's how public relations counselors use motion hearings:

Served as a student attorney advocating on behalf of indigent clients at their initial arraignments as well as motion hearings.

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7. Law Firm

Here's how public relations counselors use law firm:

Prepared affidavits and motions for clients of the largest public interest law firm in the U.S.

8. Public Speaking

Public Speaking or oration, as it is sometimes known, is the act of any one person speaking live in front of an audience. Although in the past the audience was only a physical one, nowadays oration might be done on an online video call, at a digital conference, at an online class, or elsewhere. The art of public speaking is very old, drawing its first established roots from Ancient Greece and likely from before, too. It is an important skill and asset in many industries.

Here's how public relations counselors use public speaking:

Oversee continuing education opportunities in public speaking and client services as the president of the Swanson Russell Presentation/Toastmasters Club.
Established and displayed excellent public speaking and communication skills.

9. Legal Intern

Legal intern is a law graduate who is certified to provide overseen representation to clients by permission of government agencies but their admission to a State bar is still pending. Legal internships help law students in deciding their individual area of interest from the plethora of options offered by legal education.

Here's how public relations counselors use legal intern:

Served as a certified legal intern, appearing before courts representing indigent defendants charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses.

10. Bench Trials

Here's how public relations counselors use bench trials:

Try complex jury and bench trials.

11. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how public relations counselors use mental health:

Negotiated the relations with the journalists, social services and mental health facilities in the interest of the Office.
Attended court dates, DCF meetings and medical/mental health appointments with clients.

12. Trial Preparation

Trial preparation is the practice of gathering sufficient raw material for a court case. This preparation is done to make the bases of a case stronger by bringing the facts to light in a way that will give the concerned law bodies a better comprehension of the entire scenario. The method for preparing for a case may differ depending upon its nature.

Here's how public relations counselors use trial preparation:

Conducted trial preparation including drafting motions and participated in roughly 15 client interviews.

13. Press Releases

Here's how public relations counselors use press releases:

Designed and produced press kits, wrote press releases, created a multimedia library and constructed an extensive media contact database.
Created press kits including press releases, backgrounders, fact sheets.

14. Substance Abuse

Here's how public relations counselors use substance abuse:

Completed substance abuse evaluations and provided diagnosis and recommendations.
Facilitated family sessions as part of an outpatient substance abuse treatment program.

15. Client Interviews

Here's how public relations counselors use client interviews:

Prepared memoranda and motions, and conducted client interviews and investigations.

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What skills help Public Relations Counselors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on public relations counselor resumes?

Kevin Pearce Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Communication, Department Chair, Bryant University

Your resume should show your technical knowledge based on your field. For example, if you are applying for a job in public relations, you have to make sure that public relations is represented on your resume. However, there will be hundreds of people with the technical skill to do the job. It is what you have in addition to this that can help you stand out. Being a Communication professor, I might be a bit biased about this. But almost everyone will tell you that you should demonstrate that you have good general communication skills.

Most employers see "communication" as a necessity, even if they do not fully understand what it means. If possible, do not just say you have good communication skills - make it more concrete and show it through other things you write. Employers do not want to see, "I'm a people person," without any proof. Computer skills are also a necessity. It is going to be assumed that you have basic computer skills. If you have any specialized skills, make sure you let that be known. You should also talk about any leadership positions you have held and try to show that you are good at collaborating with others.

What soft skills should all public relations counselors possess?

Anne O’Neill

Associate Teaching Professor, Director of Advertising and Communication and Public Relations Programs, Gannon University

Strong communication skills - written and verbal communication - that represent a knowledge of the industry and what is happening in the world around the young professional. Knowing and caring for more than what is happening in their lives and at their school is essential. Students often live in a safe and protected cocoon while in school and don't venture out into what is happening in the world, so it can be a rude awakening after graduation.

What public relations counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Cindy Price Schultz

Associate Professor, Department Chair of Communication & Journalism, University of Wyoming

The best thing to do with a gap year is to have an internship related to the journalism field. Instead of that, volunteering to write for a non-profit organization while working a different job type is also an option. Get connected with people on LinkedIn or talk to your local Chamber of Commerce to see who needs help in your area. Also, many colleges have internship supervisors who may know of internships that could be available for students.

What type of skills will young public relations counselors need?

Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Indeed, the way we work is changing. The skills that young graduates will need are diverse. Transferable skills and soft skills will certainly be marketable. These include traditional crafts such as communication, but I also think the world expects more empathy from its employees. Young graduates with an understanding of racism, sexism, and environmental responsibility will become increasingly important.

What hard/technical skills are most important for public relations counselors?

Dr. Jenna Stephenson Abetz Ph.D.

Associate Professor, College of Charleston

In terms of technical skills, I would say the ability to research and write well is key. Research enables our work to be more strategic and targeted, supports our ability to interact with different clients across multiple industries, and helps us in the relationship-building process. Strong writing skills set you up well for multiple aspects of public relations. In media relations, for example, writing well can translate to media results. If you're writing for social media, being concise and grabbing the attention of readers matters. If you're working in a larger group, strong writing skills help you to craft and maintain a consistent brand voice.

Do you want to know more?

List of public relations counselor skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a public relations counselor resume and required skills for a public relations counselor to have include:

Criminal Justice
Legal Issues
Communications Counsel
Legal Research
Litigation
Motion Hearings
Law Firm
Public Speaking
Legal Intern
Bench Trials
Mental Health
Trial Preparation

Press Releases
Substance Abuse
Client Interviews
Social Services
District Court
Juvenile Court
Event Planning
Assistance Cases
Criminal Cases
Facebook
Client Intake
Public Affairs

Press Conferences
Cpcs
Media Management
Parental Rights
Feature Stories
Writing Press Releases
Editorial Calendar
SEO
Jury Trials
Staff Attorneys
Communications Campaigns
Management System

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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