Public Relations Internships
Public relations internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience working directly with campaigns and media strategy, mentorship from working PR practitioners, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings today concentrate in Education, with Walker Sands, VSC, and Spark among the employers posting roles now.
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Rally Foundation was started by a simple yet powerful question from one mother to another,
"What can I do to help?"
Rally's mission is to empower volunteers across the country to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research to find better treatments with fewer long-term side effects and, ultimately, cures.
Join our team and answer the question.
Overview
Rally Foundation is seeking a creative, motivated, and detail-oriented Social Media & PR Intern to join our team.
This opportunity is ideal for a recent college graduate or graduating senior pursuing a career in social media, public relations, communications, or marketing. We're looking for someone with previous internship, freelance, or professional experience creating digital content and managing social media platforms who is eager to build their skills in a fast-paced nonprofit environment.
The intern will work with the Digital Marketing Manager to support Rally's national social media presence and public relations efforts. This role offers hands-on experience developing content, supporting media outreach, covering events, analyzing performance, and helping tell the stories that inspire supporters to fund childhood cancer research.
What You'll Work On
The Social Media & Public Relations Intern will gain experience in a variety of communications areas, including:
- Creating engaging content for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and other social media platforms
- Writing captions, social media copy, and other communications materials tailored to each platform
- Designing graphics in Canva and assisting with short-form video editing
- Supporting Rally's social media content calendar and scheduling posts
- Monitoring social media engagement and interacting with our online community
- Helping collect stories, photos, and videos from Rally Kids, families, volunteers, and events
- Assisting with media alerts, press releases, media pitches, and maintaining media lists
- Supporting public relations efforts for fundraising campaigns, awareness initiatives, and signature events
- Tracking social media performance and helping prepare analytics reports
- Researching social media trends, nonprofit communications, and best practices
- Collaborating with the Marketing, Development, Events, and Rally Kid teams on campaigns and communications projects
Necessary Skills Include
- Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, Digital Media, or a related field
- Previous internship, campus leadership, freelance, or professional experience in social media, communications, or public relations
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong understanding of major social media platforms and current digital trends
- Experience creating content and writing for social media
- Canva experience required; basic video editing (CapCut, Premiere Pro, or similar) is a plus
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with a team
- Positive attitude, creativity, professionalism, and eagerness to learn
- Interest in nonprofit marketing and mission-driven storytelling
- Valid driver's license and reliable transportation
- Available 15-20 hours per week / In-office Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (Sandy Springs)
If you are interested in applying, please submit your resume, cover letter and portfolio if available through this job post.
Work Location: In person
Rally Foundation was started by a simple yet powerful question from one mother to another,
"What can I do to help?"
Rally's mission is to empower volunteers across the country to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research to find better treatments with fewer long-term side effects and, ultimately, cures.
Join our team and answer the question.
Overview
Rally Foundation is seeking a creative, motivated, and detail-oriented Social Media & PR Intern to join our team.
This opportunity is ideal for a recent college graduate or graduating senior pursuing a career in social media, public relations, communications, or marketing. We're looking for someone with previous internship, freelance, or professional experience creating digital content and managing social media platforms who is eager to build their skills in a fast-paced nonprofit environment.
The intern will work with the Digital Marketing Manager to support Rally's national social media presence and public relations efforts. This role offers hands-on experience developing content, supporting media outreach, covering events, analyzing performance, and helping tell the stories that inspire supporters to fund childhood cancer research.
What You'll Work On
The Social Media & Public Relations Intern will gain experience in a variety of communications areas, including:
- Creating engaging content for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and other social media platforms
- Writing captions, social media copy, and other communications materials tailored to each platform
- Designing graphics in Canva and assisting with short-form video editing
- Supporting Rally's social media content calendar and scheduling posts
- Monitoring social media engagement and interacting with our online community
- Helping collect stories, photos, and videos from Rally Kids, families, volunteers, and events
- Assisting with media alerts, press releases, media pitches, and maintaining media lists
- Supporting public relations efforts for fundraising campaigns, awareness initiatives, and signature events
- Tracking social media performance and helping prepare analytics reports
- Researching social media trends, nonprofit communications, and best practices
- Collaborating with the Marketing, Development, Events, and Rally Kid teams on campaigns and communications projects
Necessary Skills Include
- Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, Digital Media, or a related field
- Previous internship, campus leadership, freelance, or professional experience in social media, communications, or public relations
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong understanding of major social media platforms and current digital trends
- Experience creating content and writing for social media
- Canva experience required; basic video editing (CapCut, Premiere Pro, or similar) is a plus
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with a team
- Positive attitude, creativity, professionalism, and eagerness to learn
- Interest in nonprofit marketing and mission-driven storytelling
- Valid driver's license and reliable transportation
- Available 15-20 hours per week / In-office Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (Sandy Springs)
If you are interested in applying, please submit your resume, cover letter and portfolio if available through this job post.
Work Location: In person
Public Relations Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
Tips for Your Public Relations Internship Search
Apply for summer roles the preceding fall
Large agencies and corporate communications teams open summer intern applications as early as September. If you wait until spring, the most structured programs are already closed. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to start dates, so check back regularly even after the main recruiting season passes.
Build a writing portfolio before you apply
PR intern screens are portfolio screens. Assemble two or three documented projects, a press release, a media pitch, a campaign brief, or a crisis communications case study, and make them accessible via a personal site or shared folder. Recruiters need something concrete to assess your writing and strategic thinking before an interview.
Work your campus network alongside direct applications
Campus career fairs surface structured programs tied to your university, and your professor or career center advisor often knows which agencies recruit from your school before roles appear publicly. Apply directly to companies running smaller cohorts at the same time, combining both channels reaches programs that never post to general job listings.
Practice pitching out loud before your interview
PR intern interviews typically include a writing exercise, a media pitch scenario, or a campaign brief critique. Practice your responses out loud, explaining your editorial and strategic reasoning as you go, interviewers weigh how you frame a story and defend a recommendation as much as the final answer itself.
Target structured agency and corporate cohort programs
Large agencies and major brand communications teams run named intern cohorts designed to train people new to the field. These programs recruit early, move on set timelines, and frequently convert to full-time associate roles. Identify the cohort programs that match your interests and submit in the first application window, late applications rarely advance.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 83% of the public relations internships listed here. Decide what you can realistically commit to, on-site, hybrid, or remote, before you begin reviewing listings. Filtering by location and work type upfront means you're only spending time on roles you can actually accept.
Public Relations Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a public relations internship?
Lead with coursework and projects rather than work history, hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. A portfolio of writing samples, press releases, pitch letters, or campaign case studies gives recruiters something concrete to assess your skills. Apply directly to companies you want to work for and attend campus career fairs, where PR recruiters often move faster with students they meet in person.
Can a public relations internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. What actually drives it is your performance on real deliverables, whether the team has approved headcount, and the timing of return-offer decisions at that company. Treat every project as a work sample, ask your manager about return-offer timelines early, and stay open to other opportunities so you're not counting on one outcome.
When should I apply for public relations internships?
Earlier than most expect. Large agencies and corporate communications teams recruit summer interns the preceding fall, sometimes as early as September or October. Smaller companies, nonprofits, and co-op programs post closer to their actual start dates, so openings appear year-round. Check regularly rather than waiting for a single recruiting season.
Are public relations internships paid?
Most professional public relations internships in the U.S. are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location. Listings show pay where the employer discloses it, so you can compare opportunities before applying. Unpaid arrangements exist primarily at smaller nonprofits and some academic or government offices, often structured around academic credit.
What should a public relations internship resume include?
Lead with projects rather than work history. Document two or three completed projects, a press release, a media pitch campaign, a crisis communications case study, or a social media content plan, noting the tools used and linking to the work where possible. Add relevant coursework in communications, journalism, or marketing. Keep the whole resume to one page.
Are there remote public relations internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 17% of the public relations internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill quickly because they attract applicants from across the country, so apply early once you find a role that fits. Filter by work type at the start of your search so you're only reviewing positions you can actually take.
What is a public relations agency internship program?
Many mid-size and large PR agencies run structured summer internship cohorts, often called associate or trainee programs, designed specifically for students new to agency work. These programs rotate interns across practice areas such as media relations, social strategy, and crisis communications. They recruit early, fill fast, and often serve as the primary pipeline for entry-level associate hires, so apply in the first application wave.
Can international students get public relations internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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