Key Skills for Head of Public Relations Positions
- Media Relations & Press Office Management
- Crisis Communications Planning & Response
- Strategic Communications Planning
- Thought Leadership & Executive Profiling
- Social Media Strategy & Reputation Management
- PR Campaign Measurement (Coverage, Reach, Share of Voice)
- Stakeholder & Government Relations
- Content Creation & Press Release Writing
- Event & Launch Management
- Internal Communications
Resume Tips for Head of Public Relations Applications
- Lead your summary with the scope of your leadership — team size, budget managed, or strategic initiatives delivered — since head of public relations employers expect to see measurable impact at that seniority level before considering a candidate
- Demonstrate media coverage outcomes: tier-one publication placements, broadcast appearances secured.
- Quantify campaign reach and share of voice metrics.
- Highlight crisis management experience — it is the most valued and tested skill in the PR industry.
- List journalists and editors across key publications in your specialty area.
- For agency roles, show client management, account growth, and new business pitching experience.
Strong Action Verbs for Head of Public Relations Resumes
Managed · Secured · Pitched · Advised · Communicated · Planned · Positioned · Launched · Protected · Coordinated · Integrated · Achieved · Administered · Analyzed
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Writing a generic objective statement instead of a targeted head of public relations professional summary
- Not quantifying media coverage outcomes — PR value is measured in coverage quality and reach.
- Failing to demonstrate crisis communications capability — it is the discipline's highest-stakes test.
- Ignoring digital and social media reputation management skills.
- Not providing writing samples — PR employers assess writing quality and expect to review it.
Experience Levels
- PR Assistant / Junior Executive (0-2 years)
- PR Executive / Account Executive (2-5 years)
- Senior Executive / Manager (5-9 years)
- Account Director / Communications Manager (9-14 years)
- Head of Communications / Partner (14+ years)
How to Write a Head of Public Relations Resume
Browse Head of Public Relations resume examples built around crisis communications planning & response, tailored for Public Relations roles.
A strong Head of Public Relations resume leads with a focused professional summary that names the exact role and your standout achievement. In the experience section, open every bullet with a strong action verb and quantify the result with numbers wherever possible. Highlight your most relevant competencies — especially Media Relations & Press Office Management, Crisis Communications Planning & Response, and Strategic Communications Planning — in a dedicated Skills section positioned early so ATS systems and hiring managers both find it immediately.
For format, most Head of Public Relations roles suit a reverse-chronological layout: most recent position first, working backwards. Keep to one page for under five years of experience, or two pages for senior candidates with a rich project or leadership history. Use clean, ATS-safe fonts (10–12pt), standard section headings (Summary, Experience, Education, Skills), and avoid tables, text boxes, or multi-column layouts that applicant tracking systems cannot parse reliably.