Public relations are essential for any organisation's strategy, focused on managing communication between a company and its target audience.
It is about shaping public perception, handling media relations, and crisis communications – all whilst promoting a positive image for the person, brand or business.
For Junior PRs, public relations is an exciting opportunity to:
- Form new relationships.
- Create interesting content that will resonate with their audience.
- Help organisations reach their unique business goals.
If you can understand the essential skills and key steps to become a PR expert, you can begin your journey of becoming successful and fulfilled in the PR industry.
Let’s dive deeper into what public relations really is and how you can jumpstart your career.
What is PR?
PR is short for Public Relations, which is the practice of managing and enhancing the public image of an organisation, person or brand.

Public Relations differs from advertising as it often focuses on earned media over paid.
Earned media is the content that is published or broadcasted by third parties like journalists, influencers, or media outlets.
PRs work on press releases, manage social media channels, and handle media enquiries, all of which help build positive relationships and establish trust.
Using tools like Roxhill’s trusted media database helps PRs search for and discover the right journalists to pitch their stories to.
What is a PR Strategy?

A PR strategy is often part of a larger marketing effort and aims to:
- Influence public opinion
- Support brand messaging
- Maintain a consistent narrative across multiple platforms.
The goal is to improve credibility by using:
- Media relations
- Press coverage
- Well-thought-out communication to boost visibility.
With the rise of digital content, PRs also:
- Manage online reputations
- Foster brand awareness
- Create meaningful interactions on social media through their content marketing and influencer outreach.
5 Key Steps to Becoming a Junior PR
1. Master Essential PR Skills
To thrive in PR, it’s important to master certain skills. Developing these skills will help you navigate relationship-building, crisis management, and adaptation to the digital world.
Focusing on these areas will set you up for success:
- Building relationships: Cultivate strong media relations and communication skills to engage effectively with journalists, influencers and clients.
- Crisis management: Learn how to handle PR crises by crafting strong responses to manage public perception during tricky times.
- Digital PR Expertise: Develop knowledge of the most popular social media platforms, content marketing and influencer outreach to improve your strategy.
2. Gain Hands On Experience

Experience is a big part of progressing in PR. Internships, volunteer work and personal projects will help you build your skills, develop a strong portfolio and establish your reputation:
- Internships and volunteer work: Seek opportunities to work with PR agencies or brands so you can gain experience and understand how to succeed in your PR career.
Personal Projects: Take on freelance work and initiatives like blogging or on your own social profiles.
4. Stay informed with Sector Trends

Public relations is constantly evolving, which is why you need to stay up-to-date and adapt to current trends to make your pitches and press releases relevant to your target audience.
- Follow PR Trends: Be the first to know the latest PR strategies, platforms and media outlets.
- Access Accurate Media Database Tools: Familiarise yourself with a trusted media database platform, press release distribution tools and social media management tools.
- Digital PR Skills: Gain expertise in search engine optimisation, email marketing, and influencer marketing as part of a modern PR strategy.
3. Personal Brand and Networking

To take your career to the next level, build your own personal brand and a strong network. It helps you find new opportunities to move forward in your career.
- Develop your personal brand: Use social media to establish yourself as a thought leader in PR, by posting insightful content.
PR Networking: Go to industry events and engage with others to build connections both in-person and online, such as using LinkedIn.
5. Develop a Strong Work Ethic and Adaptability

- Time Management: Strong time management skills makes a big difference to keeping up with tight deadlines, quick turnovers and multi-tasking in the PR world.
- Problem Solving: Learn to adapt quickly to changing situations, whether it’s handling a crisis or adjusting a campaign.
- Attention to detail: Make sure your communications are accurate, consistent and also align with the brand’s voice and message.
Key Takeaways of what is PR?

- Strong communication skills, both virtually and in person, are essential for building the right relationships.
- Building strong writing and verbal communication skills is crucial for success in the PR space.
- Gaining experience through internships, volunteer work, and personal projects will enhance your expertise.
- Establishing your personal brand is important for long-term career growth.
- Keeping up to date with industry trends and learning the latest PR tools is essential for success.
- Effective communication, both online and in person, is key to building strong relationships in PR.
FAQs: Common Questions About Starting a PR Career
1. How long does it take to become a PR expert?
Becoming proficient in PR typically takes several years, but with focused effort, you can gain significant expertise in two years through hands-on experience and training.
2. What qualifications do I need to enter PR?
Whilst formal qualifications in communication, marketing, or public relations are helpful, experience is often more valuable. Internships and volunteer work will help you get started.
3. What are the best PR software tools for beginners?
For PR beginners, Roxhill’s media database can be a huge help. Using Roxhill’s intelligent PR software, you’ll be able to find relevant journalist contacts using advanced search features, build media lists, and distribute press releases to help you connect with the right people.
4. How important is it to have a digital presence as a PR?
Being present on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter is essential for networking, keeping up with sector trends, and showing your work to potential employers or clients.
5. How can I improve my writing for PR?
To improve your copywriting, practice crafting press releases, blog posts, and social media content regularly, and take courses and workshops to help you improve your writing skills.
You can also attend our in-person and online events delivered by top journalists, where you can discover what, how, and when to pitch to relevant media outlets.
6. How do I deal with a PR crisis?
When managing a crisis, don’t panic, but make sure you act quickly. Create a crisis plan in place, craft clear messages, and always keep stakeholders up to date.
You should always be honest, take responsibility if needed, and be prepared to deal with the negative impact.
7. What are some essential PR strategies for beginners?
Focus on finding the right journalists for your campaigns and building media relationships, understanding your audience, and developing clear, concise.
Digital PR strategies, like social media and influencer marketing, are also necessary for PR professionals in today’s world.
8. How important is creativity in PR?
Creativity is a huge part of PR. It helps PRs stand out from their competition when they’re crafting compelling stories and working on campaigns.
Being unique and looking for new ways to get your audience’s attention is what makes your brand unique. Creative thinking is essential for standing out in this competitive field.
9. How do I measure the success of a PR campaign?
PR success is subjective to each campaign, but it’s usually measured through media coverage, social media engagement, brand sentiment, and audience reach.
Setting clear KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) before the campaign starts is essential to tracking the success of your campaign.
By mastering these essential PR skills, gaining hands-on experience, and staying ahead of industry trends, you can build a successful career in public relations.