Step by step process
In the course of public relations, it is included – to develop in you the skills of understanding the psychology of people and people, which will prove to be helpful in the exchange of information. Basically its purpose is to understand the people and their communication needs. Most of the courses are similar to or include mass communication courses and the emphasis is on developing communication skills with all technical knowledge. Simplifying technical knowledge here is a challenging task.
Most public relations courses cover the following topics:
- Introduction to Mass Communication
- History of Print Media in India
- electronic media and photography
- International Dialogue and Human Rights
- Importance of information technology in the field of public relations
- study of human needs and psychology
- There may be some variation in the syllabus depending on the college or university, but all the subjects are almost the same as the subjects mentioned above.
Debut
If you want to make a career in this field, then first you have to make a list of colleges offering this course and also keep in mind that what is the course content of the college. It would be preferable to enroll in colleges offering mass communication courses as they help in communicating with media professionals. After schooling, you can take a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and then a master’s degree in mass communication. Apart from this, even after graduating in any discipline, you can do post-graduation in public relations. Some institutes also offer diploma courses. Prominent institutes in this field are Xavier Institute of Mass Communication, Mumbai; Symbiosis School, Pune; and Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi.
Is this the right career for me?
To know whether a public relations career is right for you or not, you need to know how good you are at talking to people and the passion you have for working with the media. If you are fond of reading and keep an eye on daily news and events, then the course of public relations and mass communication can prove to be the right option for you and if you are interested in technical subjects then you can go for computer science, science, finance and You can make a career in the field like accounting. But still the PR course is helpful in increasing the communication ability of everyone. The pay scale of PR professionals would have been as good as that of a marketing or IT professional.
Introduction
Public relations career is for those who have excellent communication skills and who are adept at meeting and communicating with new people all the time. This is a field where you have to know the state of mind of your listener and turn it in your favor.
The first meeting of public relations organizations from around the world, held in Mexico City in August 1978, defined public relations as “analyzing public relations trends, projecting their potential outcomes, advising organizational leadership, and implementing plans.” There is such an art and social science of doing that which takes care of the interests of both the institution and the people. Knowing, understanding and influencing people’s opinion is an important task, by which you create a right and wrong image of a person or organization in the general public by using different media mediums.
How much will it cost?
According to the level of the college, the annual fee of a good PR course can range from 10000 to 40000. If your election is for St. Xavier, Mumbai then you will have to pay Rs. 12000 as annual fee there. However, the fees in private institutions are very high.
Scholarship
You can also get education loan from various banks for the course. You can repay this loan either by doing a job during your studies or after completing your studies. Nationalized banks like State Bank of India offer loans up to 7.5 lakhs.
Pay scale
According to the educational level and your qualification, you can get 15,000 and above initially. If you start your career as a secretary to CEO in a company then you can get 2 to 3 lakh annual salary. If you start a career as a communication professional in marketing or ad agency, then you can get an annual pay scale of Rs 2.5 lakh. On the other hand, if you start as an anchor in a news channel, you can get a monthly salary of 30000 or more. But to work here you should always be ready to work in shifts and travel to different places. You can easily get a monthly salary of Rs 15000 by starting a career in an IT company with technical or corporate communication. You can also apply for sales or business development positions, all you need is excellent selling and communication skills. There is really no dearth of opportunities in this field.
Employment opportunities
There are immense opportunities in various industries for PR professionals who have an excellent level of communication and understanding. Advertising agencies and marketing companies are always on the lookout for good PR professionals. Many PR professionals also take courses in photography or visual communication while doing PR courses, which makes them easy to get jobs in film-making companies.
Employment opportunities in this field are continuously increasing in India. Many big companies like Balaji Telefilms, Mukta Arts keep advertising on various job sites for creative head and other creative positions.
Demand and supply
Professionals with good communication are in demand in almost every industry. For example, nowadays HR professionals of companies also consider communication skills as a factor while selecting individuals for positions like software professionals. There is always a shortage of good English-speaking professionals in India as compared to the demand. Although the level of English has improved in the last few years, even government school students can speak good English. So the competition has increased.
Market watch
The evolution of the PR profession over the years has been unparalleled. With the opening of new TV channels, News channels, IT companies, BPOs/KPOs, the demand for PR professionals is at its industry highest level. PR professionals are also in high demand in other areas such as hotels, shipping and logistics. They can get positions ranging from receptionist to lobby manager and sales manager. In the last few decades, there has been an incomparable growth of ad agencies. Becoming a public relations officer in various government departments and companies can also be a good option. You can also do the work of managing the public profile of some big and rich people. That’s why the market is of choice for PR professionals at this time.
International exposure
Indian professionals are working in many big marketing positions in many countries. There is immense potential for communication professionals, especially in America. Many Indians are earning well by setting up websites and ad agencies there.
Positive / negative aspects
Positive
Students with good communication skills are in demand everywhere. So the employment opportunities for PR professionals are very good.
The pay scale is as good as the other field professionals.
Negative
Some PR professionals constantly change companies in order to earn more money, which does not provide stability to their career.
Role and Designation
Public relations, depending on the subject, is a part of mass communication. Corporate communication, technical communication etc. are also similar subjects. In fact all these subjects are related to each other. Therefore, there are immense career opportunities in every field for the PR professional, just need to learn more and more with time.
leading companies
Some of the leading advertising companies in India are:
- Ogilvy and Mother
- J Walter Thomson India
- Mudra Communications Private Limited
- FCB-Meteor Advertising Limited
- Rediffusion- DY&R
Apart from these companies you can also apply for IT companies like HCL, Wipro, Infosys etc as nowadays these companies are also hiring corporate professionals having experience in PR field. You can also apply in news and other big channels.
Tips for getting employment
You can follow the following tips to make a career in public relations:
- Apply for at least 7 to 20 companies.
- Select the dates of interview and examination as per your convenience.
- Be prepared to talk as much as possible as these companies want professionals with unparalleled communication skills.
- Take a flexible approach to the salary issue at the start of your career.
- Express your desire to work in the company in which you have applied, along with learning and improving people skills honestly.
- Before going to the interview, do thorough research about the company and its business.