Public Relations Internship Application Form

Find Your Next PR Star with a Professional Internship Application Form

Hiring the right public relations intern can transform your agency's capacity while nurturing the next generation of communications professionals. But sifting through generic resumes and cover letters rarely reveals who can actually write compelling copy, think strategically under pressure, or understand the nuances of media relations.

This Public Relations Internship Application Form gives PR agencies, in-house communications teams, and marketing firms a structured, professional way to evaluate candidates on the skills that actually matter—writing ability, media savvy, crisis thinking, and practical PR knowledge.

Why This Template Works for PR Teams

Traditional application processes ask for resumes and maybe a cover letter. This template goes deeper, asking candidates to demonstrate their abilities through real-world scenarios: drafting a press release, responding to a crisis communication prompt, and sharing their media monitoring experience. You'll see how they think, write, and problem-solve before you even schedule an interview.

The form is designed to save your team hours of back-and-forth emails. Everything you need to assess a candidate—contact information, availability, writing samples, scenario responses, and portfolio links—arrives in one organized submission. You can review applications on your schedule and quickly identify standout candidates who understand the fundamentals of strategic communications.

Built for Agencies, In-House Teams, and Growing PR Departments

Whether you're a boutique PR agency, a corporate communications department, or a growing marketing team, this form adapts to your hiring needs:

PR & Communications Agencies can use it to find interns who can hit the ground running with client work, media pitching, and content creation. The press release draft and crisis scenario sections help you gauge whether candidates understand client service and can handle the pace of agency life.

In-House Communications Teams benefit from the structured format when hiring interns to support media relations, internal communications, or corporate PR initiatives. The form helps you identify candidates who align with your company culture and can support ongoing campaigns.

Marketing Departments expanding into PR can use this template to find interns who bridge the gap between marketing and media relations, bringing fresh perspectives on storytelling and brand communications.

What Makes This Template Different

Unlike basic job application forms, this template includes skills-based assessments that reveal actual competency:

• Press Release Draft Section: Candidates write a short press release based on a scenario you provide, showing their ability to craft newsworthy angles and write in AP style.
• Crisis Communication Response: A real-world crisis scenario tests their ability to think strategically, respond quickly, and communicate with empathy under pressure.
• Media Monitoring Experience: Understand their familiarity with media tracking tools, news cycles, and what makes a story newsworthy.
• Writing Samples & Portfolio: Easy file upload fields let candidates showcase their best work, from blog posts to social media campaigns.

These practical assessments mean you're not just reading about their skills—you're seeing them in action.

Streamline Your Internship Hiring with Paperform

This template is built on Paperform, the all-in-one form platform designed for SMBs that need professional, on-brand forms without the technical headaches. The doc-style editor makes it simple to customize questions, add your agency logo, adjust brand colors, and embed the form directly on your careers page.

Conditional logic lets you adapt questions based on responses. For example, if a candidate has prior PR experience, you can ask follow-up questions about specific campaigns they've worked on. If they're new to the field, you can focus on their transferable skills and enthusiasm for learning.

File uploads make it effortless for candidates to submit writing samples, resumes, and portfolios in one place. Everything is organized in your Paperform dashboard, so you can review applications without hunting through email attachments.

Automate Your PR Internship Workflow with Stepper

Once applications start coming in, you can use Stepper, Paperform's AI-native workflow builder, to automate what happens next:

• Automatically send applications to your hiring manager or HR team via Slack or email.
• Create tasks in Asana, Monday, or your project management tool for each new application.
• Sort applications into categories (e.g., "Strong Writing," "Needs Review," "Interview") based on their responses.
• Trigger personalized confirmation emails thanking candidates and outlining next steps.

Stepper keeps your hiring process moving without manual admin work, so you can focus on finding the right fit for your team.

Who This Form Is For

This template is ideal for:

• PR agencies hiring interns to support client campaigns, media outreach, and content creation.
• Corporate communications teams looking for interns to assist with press releases, media relations, and internal communications.
• Marketing teams expanding their PR function and needing fresh talent who can write, pitch, and monitor media coverage.
• Nonprofit organizations seeking communications interns to support advocacy, storytelling, and donor engagement.
• Startups and scale-ups building their first communications function and needing enthusiastic learners with strong writing skills.

Designed for Professional Services and Creative Teams

The form's clean, professional design reflects the standards of the PR industry while remaining approachable for applicants. The multi-page layout (or Guided Mode if you prefer a conversational flow) makes the application feel manageable rather than overwhelming, increasing completion rates.

Candidates appreciate the opportunity to showcase their skills through practical exercises rather than just listing them on a resume. You get better-quality applications from people who are genuinely interested and capable.

Integrate with Your Hiring Stack

Paperform plays nicely with the tools PR teams already use. Send applications to:

• Google Sheets or Airtable for easy tracking and collaboration with your hiring team.
• Slack for instant notifications when a strong candidate applies.
• Your ATS (Applicant Tracking System) via Stepper, Zapier, or webhooks to keep everything centralized.
• Email marketing tools to build a talent pipeline for future openings.

Everything syncs automatically, so you spend less time on administrative work and more time connecting with promising candidates.

Customize for Your Agency's Unique Needs

Every PR team has different priorities. Easily customize this template to:

• Add questions about specific skills (e.g., social media management, graphic design, video editing).
• Include scenario-based questions relevant to your industry (tech PR, consumer PR, B2B, nonprofit).
• Adjust the crisis communication scenario to reflect the types of clients or situations your team handles.
• Add fields for references, start date availability, or academic requirements.

The Paperform editor makes customization simple—no coding required. Your marketing coordinator or HR manager can make updates on the fly as your hiring needs evolve.

Trusted by Communications Professionals Worldwide

Paperform is trusted by over 500,000 teams globally and is SOC 2 Type II certified, ensuring your candidate data is handled securely and professionally. With GDPR compliance, data residency controls, and enterprise-grade security, you can confidently collect sensitive application information without worrying about privacy risks.

The platform offers 30,000+ designer templates across every business function, making it easy to create matching forms for client intake, media contact lists, or event registrations—all with a consistent brand experience.

Get Started in Minutes

This Public Relations Internship Application Form template is ready to use out of the box. Simply customize the questions to match your agency's voice, add your branding, and share the link on your website, social media, or job boards. Start receiving organized, skills-based applications that help you identify top PR talent faster.

Whether you're a boutique agency hiring your first intern or an established communications team expanding your capacity, this template gives you a professional, efficient way to find candidates who can write, think strategically, and thrive in the fast-paced world of public relations.