Well…not literally. But hear me out.
I first want to say that PR Real World was absolutely awesome! Glad everyone attended, and I really hope that you guys got everything you ever wanted from it and then some.
Now, on to my sensational title. I’m not literally talking about making meals from peanuts, but say you don’t have much PR experience, but you still want to set up your LinkedIn, make a kickin’ resume and begin your journey into the world of PR. What do you do?
Well according to a post on PRDiva, there is a way you can make a resume work for PR, even if you haven’t had much experience yet. I’ll highlight some of the steps!
1. Do not fluff.
Don’t church up (yeah, I’m using a lot of my grandmother’s sayings.) what you did for past places. If you worked for a retailer for 6 months, don’t say it was 2 years. Be truthful in your time there, and be truthful about what you did. If you did nothing but fold t-shirts, then say that. Honesty is the best policy, and that’s not only a PR lesson, but a life lesson.
2. Highlight skills that can be used all over.
If you worked somewhere for 6 years, emphasize that! It obviously shows that you are committed to your employer, and are in it for the long run. Other managerial skills can also be used on a PR resume, as it shows you had responsibility and what you did with it. Also, if figures are relevant, don’t be shy about saying that!
Let’s say you switched majors. Well, going from English or History and Political Science to a PR track is still just as writing intensive. In actuality, I hold an Associate’s Degree in Journalism, which has greatly helped my PR writing.
3. Talk about your goals.
Even if you were originally on the PR track, always discuss your goals in your resume, as PR is such a wide and diverse field. Do you want to do more entertainment than corporate PR? How about music? Are you more into social media management than anything else? Highlight those desires in your objective. Even if you find out the position you’re applying for doesn’t need it at the time, you never know who knows who.
4. Build your portfolio!
Use your class work, volunteer your services if you can, write for your school’s newspaper, or place ads to manage a small company’s PR and social media. Any little bit helps and you can definitely hone your skills by doing this.
With these four steps, even with next-to-nothing PR related in your portfolio, you can definitely make it work out here in this industry. Good Luck! And enjoy the rest of your Spring Break!