How to Land PR Jobs
Trying to land a great PR job in 2025 feels like chasing a story after it goes live: too late, too crowded, and with all the good stuff already buried under brand fluff. The best roles rarely hit the big job boards. They’re whispered about in group chats, tucked away in boutique newsletters, or shared privately within tight-knit industry circles.
In PR, connections matter. That’s why I built 📣 Make Marketing Your Job: a faster, fairer way to find your next job. With curated listings designed for marketers, publicists, and communications pros, these are real, remote-friendly public relations jobs sent straight to your inbox.
So whether you’re brand-new to public relations or pivoting into freelance work, here’s how to actually land PR jobs that move your career forward.
What Does a Modern PR Career Look Like?
Public relations used to be synonymous with agency life: late nights, endless client calls, and half your paycheck going to rent near a “media capital.”
And sure, full-time PR jobs can offer stability and mentorship, especially if you’re early in your career. But the tradeoff is often creative control and earning potential. Freelancers, by contrast, can work remotely from anywhere, take on multiple clients, and scale their income faster.
Many of the PR experts I know started in agencies, learned the ropes, and eventually went solo once they realized how much more they could make on their own. If you’ve got strong writing, pitching, and strategy skills, freelance PR is one of the best-kept secrets in marketing.
A modern freelance PR career might include any mix of:
Managing launch campaigns for indie brands
Handling media outreach for authors or entrepreneurs
Consulting on messaging for tech startups
Running crisis comms or thought leadership projects on retainer
Freelance publicists can choose clients they actually care about, set their own rates, and skip the burnout of agency grind culture.
Take Haley Raymond, a brilliant freelance publicist. In our Substack Live conversation, Haley spoke about helping self-published authors get national coverage, and why she’d never go back to traditional agency life. Her story is the perfect case study for modern PR jobs: flexibility, creative control, and better clients. That’s the freelance PR trifecta.
Why the Best PR Jobs Are Going Freelance
The PR industry is evolving fast. Big agencies are shrinking their teams. Startups and creators are building their own press engines. And companies that do hire external help are looking for independent specialists who can deliver results without layers of overhead.
For freelance publicists, this is a green light moment.
Hiring freelance publicists allows brands to tap into expertise on demand. As a result, high-paying PR jobs are shifting toward project-based or retainer-based work: from product launches to long-term brand strategy.
If you know how to manage campaigns, pitch effectively, and measure ROI, you’re in the perfect position to take advantage of this shift. You don’t need to wait for an agency to give you permission to start your career. You just need to build your network, sharpen your positioning, and start applying to the right freelance PR listings.
Where to Find Public Relations Jobs
If you’re serious about growing your public relations career, your strategy should include a mix of these sources:
Private newsletters run by industry insiders
Freelance job boards focused on marketing and communications
Personal referrals, once you’ve built trust with other freelancers
But let’s be honest…the big job boards are a mess. Between the irrelevant listings, underpaid internships, and “PR Manager” roles that are really just social media admin work, you can waste hours scrolling without finding anything worth your time.
That’s why freelancers need trusted curators. With each email packed with remote roles, retainer opportunities, and projects that actually pay for expertise, 📣 Make Marketing Your Job was designed to be the ultimate curation of these listings.
You can also check out my roundup of the best job boards for marketers and social media managers, a great companion list for PR pros looking to expand their reach across different marketing disciplines.
How to Stand Out When Applying for PR Jobs
Once you’ve found high-quality PR jobs, you’ll need to make your application stand out. Here’s how to turn your experience into a story that sells:
1. Lead with results.
Journalists and clients both love numbers. Did your campaign generate national coverage? Boost engagement by 300%? Land a feature in Fast Company? Use metrics to prove your impact.
2. Tailor your approach.
Generic pitches get generic responses. Research the brand or client, reference their recent wins, and explain how your work fits into their broader strategy.
3. Showcase your relationships.
A publicist’s network is their currency. Without name-dropping, you can hint at past collaborations or niche expertise — for example, “I’ve secured features in top-tier business outlets and niche podcasts in the wellness space.”
4. Keep your portfolio simple.
You don’t need a flashy website. A clean Notion or Google Doc portfolio with three strong case studies will do the job. Focus on challenge, strategy, and results. Include links to published press coverage when possible.
5. Follow up like a pro.
Polite persistence wins in PR. A thoughtful follow-up shows reliability and most clients appreciate that kind of energy before they even sign you.
Nail your story, show your value, and follow through. That’s how standout freelancers land standout jobs.
Your Shortcut to the Best PR Jobs
Searching for quality PR jobs shouldn’t feel like a full-time job. Take it from someone who knows the pain of the never-ending job hunt. 📣 Make Marketing Your Job brings high-paying freelance listings straight to your inbox, no networking favors required.
Here’s what you’ll get as a subscriber:
📣 5x/week curated job board — only freelance, only remote
đź’¬ Real clients hiring experienced PR, marketing, and communications talent
🎯 High-paying projects across brand strategy, thought leadership, and publicity
📊 No spam — just vetted listings with transparent budgets
It’s $10/month or $96/year. One great client easily pays for itself ten times over.
If you’re ready to build your freelance PR career the smart way, join the community that’s helping thousands of marketers find their next opportunity.
The best public relations careers are built through strategy, momentum, and the right connections. Whether you’re going freelance for the first time or leveling up your client roster, the roles you actually want are out there.
You know how to shape a story. Now shape your career into one worth pitching.
