How To Become A Public Relations Internship: What It Is and Career Path

Q: How long does it take to become a Public Relations Internship?

It takes one year or less to become a public relations internship. That is the time it takes to learn specific public relations internship skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 4 to 6 years years to become a public relations internship.

Q: How do I prepare for a PR internship?

You can prepare for a PR internship by doing research. Knowing as much as possible about the firm, company, or organization you're interning with is always useful. For PR internships specifically, this would include learning about the kinds of clients you'll be encountering, as well as brushing up on terminology or trends in the field.

Q: How do I start working in public relations?

You can start working in public relations by first getting a bachelor's degree. While it is possible to work in public relations without a degree, the vast majority of the people entering this field hold degrees in:

Q: How to get into public relations

Getting into the field of public relations begins with education. Holding the proper degree level in a relevant field is a requirement for nearly all public relations firms. The vast majority of those entering the field of public relations hold a relevant bachelor's degree. Nearly 88% of interns and those working as public relations professionals hold a four-year degree in one of several relevant fields.

Q: What do you learn in a PR internship?

In a PR internship, you learn about the field of public relations and how it works. You also learn valuable skills, such as time management, organization, and communication, which you will apply not only during the internship but for the rest of your career and life.

Q: What qualifications do you need to work in public relations?

In order to work in public relations, you will typically need at least a bachelor's degree. Many companies may also require that you show your ability by submitting a portfolio. You must demonstrate excellent persuasive and communicative skills both verbally and in writing in order to be qualified for a job in public relations. You must also be attentive to details, willing to work with diverse populations, and capable of performing research.

What is a public relations internship and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Stefanie Leiter,

Kathleen O'Keefe

A public relations intern assists the work of a PR office. There are a large variety of industries that employ PR professionals, every business basically, that has something to communicate about themselves.

PR interns take their share of every aspect of the job. They help to organize marketing events, write press releases, manage social media sites, and plan communication campaigns. They attend meetings and brainstorming sessions as well. An ability to multitask will definitely come in handy.

You will need to be organized and not take deadlines lightly, write well, obviously, and in general, be able to communicate efficiently. As an intern, you need to respect the guidance of your elder professionals and make the most of your time by creating valuable contacts and learning as much as you can. This sometimes might actually mean unlearning things you were taught at school, but this goes for every profession.

What general advice would you give to a public relations internship?

Stefanie Leiter

Assistant Professor of Public Relations, Anderson University

My advice is for students to start connecting early via LinkedIn. Years ago, employers looked at GPAs or resumes. Now, they are wondering who you know and what you did to excel in your program before your career.

ScorePublic Relations InternshipUS Average

Salary

2.4

Avg. Salary $30,868

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.59%

Asian 5.31%

Black or African American 10.15%

Hispanic or Latino 12.03%

Unknown 5.10%

White 66.82%

Gender

female 74.20%

male 25.80%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a public relations internship

Explore public relations internship education requirements

Most common public relations internship degrees

Bachelor's

85.7 %

Associate

6.3 %

Master's

4.6 %

Start to develop specific public relations internship skills

Skills	Percentages
Press Releases	29.82%
Facebook	5.49%
Twitter	4.90%
Press Clippings	3.57%
Instagram	3.54%

Complete relevant public relations internship training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New public relations interns learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a public relations internship based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real public relations internship resumes.

Research public relations internship duties and responsibilities

Manage relationship with vendors, media partners, secure coverage, track ROI and event logistics.
Manage CEO's LinkedIn account by consistently posting in relevant groups and connecting with prominent industry people.
Manage and write copy for client social media platforms and ECPR's social media deliverable, which involve SEO streamlining.
Manage all copywriting elements for live broadcasts and promotional commercials.

Prepare your public relations internship resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your public relations internship resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a public relations internship resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable public relations internship resume templates

Build a professional public relations internship resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your public relations internship resume.