Interview Questions for PR & Comms Roles: How to Prepare Answers That Actually Land

PR interviews can be oddly frustrating.

You can be great at the job — calm under pressure, strong with clients, good judgement, solid writing — and still come out of an interview thinking, “I didn’t explain myself well there.”

That’s because PR & Comms interviews aren’t just about experience. They’re about how you think. How you prioritise. How you handle pressure. How you communicate when you don’t have perfect information.

This article is for UK PR & Comms candidates. It covers the interview questions that come up most often (agency and in-house), what the interviewer is really listening for, and how to prepare answers that feel confident without sounding rehearsed.

First: what PR interviewers are actually trying to work out

Most hiring managers are quietly assessing four things:

• Can you do the work? (obvious, but still needs proving)

• Can we trust your judgement? (especially under pressure)

• Can you communicate clearly? (internally and externally)

• Will you fit the pace and culture? (agency vs in-house matters here)

If you keep those four in mind, your answers get sharper straight away.

The 12 PR & Comms interview questions you should expect (and how to answer)

1) “Talk me through your experience”

This isn’t a life story. It’s a relevance test.

How to answer:

• 20 seconds on who you are professionally

• 40 seconds on what you do best (your “lane”)

• 20 seconds on what you’re looking for next and why

Keep it tight. PR people who can summarise well tend to interview well.

2) “What kind of PR work do you enjoy most?”

They’re checking alignment.

If you love proactive campaigns but the role is reactive press office, that mismatch will show up later.

How to answer:

• name the work you like

• explain why you’re good at it

• connect it to the role you’re interviewing for

3) “Tell me about a campaign you’re proud of”

They want to see how you think, not just what you did.

Good structure:

• goal

• insight

• approach

• result

• what you’d do differently

If you can quantify results, great. If you can’t, talk about impact in a credible way (stakeholder buy-in, quality of coverage, message pull-through).

4) “How do you measure success in PR?”

A strong answer shows you understand the difference between outputs and outcomes.

Better than: “Number of clippings”

Stronger: “The right coverage, with the right message, reaching the right audience — and supporting a commercial or reputational goal.”

5) “How do you handle a crisis or a difficult situation?”

They’re looking for calm judgement.

How to answer:

• show you don’t panic

• talk about getting facts fast

• stakeholder alignment

• clear messaging

• monitoring and learning

Even if you haven’t handled a “big crisis”, you’ve handled pressure. Use a real example: a reactive issue, a client escalation, a sensitive internal comms moment.

6) “Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult client or stakeholder”

This is common in agency interviews.

They’re listening for:

• professionalism

• boundaries

• solutions

• not blaming the client

Tip: Don’t make yourself the hero and the client the villain. Make it about managing expectations and improving outcomes.

7) “How do you prioritise when everything is urgent?”

Because in PR, everything is urgent. Until it isn’t.

Strong answer includes:

• clarifying deadlines and impact

• aligning with your manager/client

• communicating trade-offs early

• staying organised (simple system)

8) “What’s your writing process?”

PR hiring managers care about writing more than most candidates realise.

Talk about:

• understanding audience and purpose

• pulling out the message

• writing simply

• editing hard

• getting sign-off efficiently

If you can, bring a portfolio or offer to share writing samples.

9) “How do you build relationships with journalists?”

Avoid generic answers like “I email them”.

Better:

• you know their beat

• you pitch relevant stories

• you’re respectful of time

• you follow up properly

• you don’t burn relationships for short-term wins

10) “Why are you leaving your current role?”

This is a trust question.

They want to know if you:

• run away from problems

• blame everyone else

• or are making a thoughtful move

Keep it calm and forward-looking:

• “I’ve learned a lot, but I’m ready for more X / less Y.”

• “I’m looking for a role with more exposure to X.”

• “I want a clearer progression path / different sector focus.”

11) “What’s your current salary?” (and “what are you looking for?”)

This is where people panic and either:

• inflate their current number, or

• throw out a target that isn’t grounded in the market

Important point:

• don’t lie about your current salary.

It can backfire. Employers can verify earnings through standard checks and documents (including your P60). If the numbers don’t match, it stops being a negotiation and turns into a trust issue.

Best approach:

• be honest about your current salary (or give a clear range)

• give a target range for the next role

• anchor it to the role scope and market

• mention what else matters (hybrid, progression, bonus)

• sense-check it with your recruiter/consultant (they should have a good eye on the market)

Example:

“My current base is £X. For my next move, based on the role scope and what I’m seeing in the market, I’m looking in the £Y–£Z range — but I’m open depending on the overall package, hybrid set-up and progression.”

12) “Do you have any questions for us?”

Always ask questions. It’s part of the interview.

Good questions for PR roles:

• “What does success look like in the first 3–6 months?”

• “How do you give feedback here?”

• “What’s the pace like day-to-day?”

• “What are the biggest challenges the team is facing right now?”

• “How does progression work in practice?”

Agency vs in-house: what changes in interviews?

Agency interviews often focus on:

• client handling

• pace and prioritisation

• commercial awareness

• team fit and energy

In-house interviews often focus on:

• stakeholder management

• internal influence

• alignment with leadership

• long-term planning and consistency

If you’re moving from agency to in-house (or vice versa), be ready to explain why — and show you understand the differences.

How to prepare without sounding rehearsed

A simple method:

• pick 6–8 stories from your experience

• make sure they cover: success, failure, pressure, conflict, learning, leadership

• practise the structure, not the script

You want to sound clear, not robotic.

FAQs

What questions are asked in PR interviews?

Common questions cover campaigns, writing, crisis handling, stakeholder management, prioritisation, and why you’re moving roles.

How do I prepare for a PR Account Manager interview?

Prepare 6–8 strong examples, be ready to talk about client handling and prioritisation, and bring clear campaign outcomes.

Do PR interviews include writing tests?

Often yes, especially for agency roles. Expect a press release, reactive statement, pitch email, or messaging exercise.

How do I answer “Tell me about yourself” in a PR interview?

Keep it relevant: who you are professionally, your strengths, and what you’re looking for next — in under 90 seconds.

What salary should I ask for in a PR role?

It depends on level, sector and location. A recruiter can help you benchmark properly, but always give a range and anchor it to role scope.

And finally…

If you’ve got interviews coming up and you want a quick prep chat — what questions to expect, how to position your experience, what salary range is realistic — email hello@prcrowd.co.uk.

We’ll give you straight advice and help you go in feeling confident.