PRs reveal how non-PR degrees set them up perfectly for public relations

Resilience, good judgement/instincts, curiosity and listening.

These are the top four skills PR’s need to be successful, according to responses from 57 PR practitioners ranging from junior account executives to those in senior leadership.

These responses — collated by PRmoment’s editor Elizabeth Giles to determine what skills junior PRs needed to be successful in 2026 — point to a universal set of skills needed for professional success.

Skills ranked from 56 comments: 

Rank	Skill mentioned	Tally (mentions)
1	Resilience	11
2	Judgement	9
3	Curiosity	8
4	Listening	7
5	Empathy	6
6	Adaptability	6
7	Confidence/bravery	6
8	Emotional intelligence	5
9	Cultural awareness	5
10	Prioritisation	5
11	Storytelling	5
12	Networking	4
13	Writing skills	3
14	Proactivity	2
15	Digital fluency	2
16	Pattern recognition	1
17	Attention to detail	1

Info: AI used to collate results from written comments 

But, where did today’s PR professionals gain their skills? It would be common sense to assume they were gained from a PR-related degree or training; which would prepare one to resiliently hit the ground running.

Indeed, a PR degree or relevant training is an extremely valuable way to enter the industry and — with competitions like PRmoment’s Rise Up, in partnership with The Romans which aims to bridge the gap between PR education and industry requirements — it’s clear to see that many will leave such courses highly employable, and not too far from the desired full skillset package.

There are also various apprenticeships and training schemes that could help someone build up their skills, or create an entire set of new ones. 

Jessica Kirby, head of B2B at Cirkle undertook the first UK-based PR apprenticeship from the PRCA, in 2012. Kirby found herself waiting on founder of Cirkle Caroline Kinsey, while working at a restaurant and wound up impressing her and scoring a place on the first apprenticeship scheme in the UK for PR. 

She says: "During our initial conversation she mentioned that the restaurant should probably have a mailing list to keep customers updated. While she was still eating, I quickly put one together and enthusiastically took it over to her table. She joked that if I wasn’t working there, she’d hire me.

"At the time, I had no idea who she was or what she did. But in the days before GDPR, I took a chance, used the email address from the newly created mailing list and messaged the next day asking if she’d meant what she said or if it had just been a kind compliment. As it turned out, the timing couldn’t have been better. Cirkle was recruiting for the PRCA apprenticeship and she told me I had 24 hours to research PR, the agency and apprenticeships before coming in for an interview."

To determine where skills were forged in existing PR practitioners, Giles released another LinkedIn poll which asked specifically for people without a PR degree to say what they studied. Of the 267 votes, over half (56%) of respondents graduated with a humanities and arts degree while 16% studied business and communications and 14% studied social sciences. 

Tally from LinkedIn comments and written responses:

Rank	Degree/background	Tally
1	Journalism	12
2	English Literature	10
3	Modern Languages (French, Spanish, Italian)	8
4	English Language & Linguistics	4
5	Theology	4
6	History	4
7	No Degree/direct to work	4
8	Philosophy	3
9	Psychology	3
10	Politics	2
11	Media Studies	2
12	Creative Writing	2
13	Law	2
14	Business Management / Studies	2
15	Drama	2
16	Photography	2
17	Ceramics	2
18	Music Industry Practice / Production	2
19	Sociology	1
20	Mechanical Engineering	1
21	Poetry (Masters)	1
22	Criminology	1
23	Geography	1
24	Fine Art	1
25	Television Production	1
26	History of Art & Design	1
27	American Studies	1
28	Fashion Styling	1
29	European Studies	1
30	Botany	1
31	Neuroscience	1

Info: AI used to collate results from written comments

The rankings are not entirely surprising, as a degree in journalism would be the most direct route into a PR career, in terms of skills acquired and without any formal PR degree or training. Similarly with degrees that work to understand the constructs of language and words, such as English or modern languages, which populate the top five. 

Katy Powell, PR director and co-founder of Bottled Imagination, who studied French and Spanish with business, says: "Studying languages taught me more than grammar and vocabulary. It trained me to communicate with nuance, understand different perspectives and adapt my tone depending on the audience. Whether navigating regional differences or subtle cultural cues, I learned to build relationships through words, a core skill in PR. 

"Interpreting modules pushed me to think on my feet, forcing me to find ways to convey phrases even when I totally forgot that specific one word I needed. Delivering presentations in a foreign language? It gave me a confidence that makes pitching ideas in English feel effortless. Coupled with a strong grasp of language, storytelling instincts and a love for creative problem-solving, my degree choice truly set me up for a career in PR." 

While Henrietta Beldham-Owen, social media manager at Midnight and proud English literature and language degree holder who worked in hospitality after leaving school, says: “With no formal qualifications, I applied for a BA in English Language and Literature at the University of Sussex. A year in, I needed a summer job. A family friend mentioned PR, so I messaged Midnight's MD, Flo, on LinkedIn and asked if she’d consider me for an internship. 

"Midnight supported me through the rest of my degree. I graduated with a 2:1 and moved into a full-time role and have since been promoted to social media manager. My MDs have said they’d have hired me without the degree. They hired me for my attitude and work ethic. But completing it was a personal challenge and proof to myself that I could.”

PR training in unlikely places

What is clear, however, is that the PR industry welcomes people from all backgrounds and disciplines. Unlike it's journalistic counterpart, that does more often than not require some formal training — especially for those working on newspaper publications or local news, public relations is an industry that will (not always) hire talent based on existing skillset or someone's ability to learn on the job. 

This is demonstrated by David Bullock, founder of Blue Chip PR who studied mechanical engineering explains: “Studying mechanical engineering for four years might not sound like the best foundation for a career in PR, but it's paying dividends in the age of AI. Grappling with computer-aided design tools and learning basic coding means that adapting to a new piece of AI software every week is a piece of cake.

"And, handling large spreadsheets was the perfect training for hunting for stories in government and proprietary information in the age of big data. I can't pretend that every course was useful (I'm looking at you, 24-week lecture course on concrete) but it has given me a different perspective on PR. My growing hatred for engineering also meant that I spent all my spare time messing about with the student paper, so at least some good came of it.”

And Ben Burwell, account executive at The Hoffman Agency, who studied music industry practice says: “Studying music, and for a time pursuing a career in it, equipped me for a career in PR I didn't even know I wanted. My CV says that songwriting taught me good written-communication skills, but, perhaps more importantly, it taught me how to tell a story. Similarly, I told recruiters that my degree in music has helped with my confidence. 

"In reality? It taught me that if I can play shows in front of hundreds of people, just me and a guitar, I can sit in a board room and happily pitch to a marketing team. Some things stay the same though. Networking over a beer at gigs was great practice for, well, networking over a beer at trade shows. Music and PR aren’t all that different really, they’re both people-led industries in the business of telling stories and, crucially, getting people to listen to those stories. Do I think all musicians should pursue a career in PR? Absolutely not. But did it set me up for success in the industry? Undeniably so.”

But, according to the tally, there are 50% more PRs without a degree or any formal training whatsoever, than there are PRs harboring a music degree. 

Gemma Moroney, co-founder of Shook says that she knew that owning her own business was the goal, but decided to work her way up: "I wish I'd gone to uni, for the education, experience and network but I’ve ended up here regardless," she explains. "Some of the most brilliant people I’ve worked with don't have degrees. Some the most brilliant people I’ve worked with do. We need routes-in for both." 

Finally, Paul MacKenzie-Cummins, MD at Clearly PR says that when he tried to enter PR 20 years ago without a degree, he had difficulty getting his foot through the door, even with a CIPR qualification. 

He says the PR sector places "great importance" on educational attainment, and says: "I would very much love to see agency leaders rethink their existing hiring preferences and recognise that there are individuals with a vast range of experiences who can bring something different to the table that they do not already have within their existing teams.

"At a time when competition between agencies for clients is arguably at its most fierce, it seems to me the smarter strategy to adopt is the one that gives the agency an edge over his rivals. After all, if we all hire in the same way, there is nothing to differentiate us from one another."