How to Write a Publicist Resume (With Template and Example)

A publicist's role is to assist high-profile individuals, such as celebrities and politicians, in generating and managing publicity for their businesses or personal lives. Publicists possess diverse practical, technical and interpersonal skills and work closely with the media sector. If you seek a career as a publicist, a resume outlining your experience, education and skills is an effective way to show an employer your suitability for a position. In this article, we explain what a publicist resume is and how to write one, suggest skills and work experience to include on your resume and provide a template and example.

What is a publicist resume?

A publicist resume is a formal written document. You can use your resume to apply for advertised jobs through a recruitment agency portal or directly with a company. A resume typically encompasses your past work history, educational qualifications, relevant industry experience, soft skills, technical abilities and a short professional statement summarising your objectives. You could also include an overview of your career goals in a professional summary. When applying for a publicist role, candidates typically include sections in their resumes that highlight experience in public relations, media, professional communications and other relevant disciplines or roles.

A publicist manages the publicity for their client or company using a variety of different strategies. Some common publicist duties include:

• Developing and implementing marketing or PR campaigns

• Speaking publicly on behalf of their client for interviews, press conferences or other publications

• Performing market research and analysing the results to determine the public's opinion of their client or brand

• Planning and circulating marketing for their clients, such as social media posts or press releases

• Pitching story ideas to journalists or publications on behalf of their client

• Assisting in the organisation of promotional events

Related: What Does a Publicist Do? (Plus Common Skills)

How to write a resume for a publicist role

Here are steps to follow when writing your resume for a publicist role:

1. Review the job description

You can edit and refine your resume for different jobs you apply for to differentiate yourself from other candidates and increase your chances of reaching the next stage of your application. A method you can use to do this is reading the job description thoroughly and picking out any keywords. Then, determine where you can insert these keywords into parts of your resume, such as in your skills or previous work history sections. When reading your application, the keywords help to attract the hiring manager's attention, helping them determine whether your profile suits the role.

Related: What Is Public Relations? (With Examples of Careers)

2. Write a concise, professional summary

A resume typically has a professional summary at the top of the page, so it's the first thing a hiring manager reads when looking at your application. Some hiring managers may have many job applications to review and can look at resumes only briefly before choosing to continue reading or moving on to the next candidate. Crafting a concise and informative summary that highlights your key achievements and skills can capture your reader's attention and convince them to continue reviewing your resume.

Related: How to Write a Resume Employers Will Notice

3. Record your professional experience

It's valuable to show employers the duties you've managed at previous jobs to help them determine your ability to meet the role they're recruiting for. You can list your job titles, past workplaces, dates you were employed and your responsibilities to give an employer a clear view of your previous experience. For example, your past professional experience might be in the public relations or communications industry. If you have little relevant experience, you can still highlight your transferable achievements, such as building relationships, administrative work and handling multiple high-pressure tasks simultaneously.

Related: What's Industry Experience and When Do You Require It?

4. Include your education

While some public relations jobs have no requirement for tertiary qualifications, employers may see a candidate's tertiary education as a desirable trait. For example, a certificate or degree in marketing, professional communications, media, or professional writing can all be advantageous to secure the job you're applying for. If you don't have a degree, there are many short courses, such as social media marketing or advertising, that you can study while working and include on your resume to make it more appealing.

Related: How to List Education on a Resume (Template and Example)

5. Highlight valuable skills

Publicists require various hard and soft skills to excel at their job. Hard or technical skills are measurable achievements, such as proofreading ability, creating reports or graphic design. In contrast, soft skills are more objective interpersonal abilities that show what type of employee you are, such as being a good communicator, a team player and an empathetic listener. Determine which skills complement the job you're applying for best and include them on your resume.

Related: 10 Best Skills to Include on a Resume

6. Proofread your document

Double-check your resume's grammar, spelling and formatting before submitting your application. Writing and creating documents are typically part of a publicist's job description, so having an error-free resume is essential for this career. If you have professional connections who currently work in the sector you want to work in, you could ask them to review your resume and give you constructive feedback as another way to improve your application.

Related: 10 Resume Writing Tips to Impress Employers

Resume template for a publicist

Below is a resume template you can use when creating your publicist resume:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City], [State]

Professional Summary

[Two to three sentences that highlight years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as a professional.]

Experience

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State]

• (Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State]

• (Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

Skills

[Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill]

Education

[Degree] [Major], [Name of school or university]

Related: 20 Popular Careers for Writers (With Salaries and Job Duties)

Resume example for a publicist role

Here's an example of a resume for a publicist that contains prior job history, education and skills:

Molly Smith
+61 2 1234 5678 | msmyth18@email.com | Liverton, NSW

Professional Summary

Enthusiastic and organised publicist with prior experience in both agency and in-house public relations campaigns. With over a decade in the industry, I specialise in copywriting, building networks and social media management. Seeking a challenging senior position in corporate PR to apply my pre-existing knowledge and skills.

Experience

Senior Publicist | Jan 2017–Jul 2022
Arthouse Pictures | Sydney, NSW

• Established a company brand identity and mission statement and developed communication materials, such as leaflets, fact sheets, client advisories and a new website landing page, helping to create a 30% heightened revenue in the first year of its implementation

• Created and released press releases for new films

• Managed internal communications between management and other employees to boost morale and encourage staff retention

• Assisted with planning and successfully executed several events, including press conferences, film premieres and themed screenings

• Engaged journalists and newspapers to run reviews, stories and feature news

Public Relations Executive | Aug 2014–Nov 2016
Glass Solutions | Albury, NSW

• Developed key strategic communication strategies to target audiences and generate media attention

• Connected with micro-influencers to advertise our company via social media to build trust with the audience

• Represented the organisation with external stakeholders and at public event

Skills

Copywriting and editing | Social media marketing | Crisis management and communications | Public speaking

Education

Bachelor of Media and Communications, Hartwurt University