Do you have excellent communication skills, are you a think on your feet person, can you multi-task and remain calm in a crisis? The Public Relations should be a top consideration when it comes to career planning.
 
Public Relations, commonly known as PR, is today considered the most credible tool to positively influence an organisation's perception amongst internal and external stakeholders, and over time, build preference and reputation for your organisation. It is the bridge that connects organisations with journalists.  Similar to advertising, PR can be used to promote an organization, individual, product, services or ideas. But news articles generated using PR are significantly more credible than paid ads. And herein lies the power of PR. Which is why, it is the most trusted route to not only promote sales, but also build and protect reputations, and manage crisis. This also makes PR a highly challenging job, but with equally gratifying results. 
 
A good PR practitioner should have a knack of analyzing the subject at hand, identify key messages and turn simple facts and figures into intriguing stories.  When the news is bad, they should be able to formulate the best response and mitigate the damage.

Content development  (press releases, presentations, speeches, pitch notes, blogs etc.), client servicing, media relations, event management, research, crisis management and networking are the essential tools of PR.

With the emergence of digital media, PR has evolved rapidly in the last five years, and most PR agencies now have traditional (newspapers, magazines, television, radio) and well as digital PR (social media, blogs, websites etc.) departments. Integrated campaigns, which use traditional and digital tools in tandem is the order of the day. 

 
Why PR is the  best career option
 
Variety of responsibilities – once you enter in PR industry you have to take up multiple responsibilities including media monitoring, content writing, media relations, documentations, planning, client meeting, event coordination, media tours and many more that boosts up your skills and helps to shape your career.

Written and verbal communications – if you’re a good writer, you will quickly stand out in the PR world, which places a premium on professionals who can write innovative, concise and good quality press releases, presentations, reports, speeches and pitch notes. Add to that command over spoken English and Hindi, to deal with media and clients, and your career will soar. 

Speedy career route – Most PR agencies operate as a meritocracy instead of focusing on age and gender, and the truly talented can climb the ladder as fast as possible. And the pay is higher compared to some professions, so being great at public relations can be a profitable talent.

Evolving constantly – the tools you use today will be obsolete tomorrow, so if you hate sitting still and love learning innovative ways of communicating and measuring success, PR is a great fit for you – especially if you like teaching others the ropes.

 
How to start
 
There are several institutes offering courses on PR. Chose one which emphasizes on practical learning as well, apart from theoretical knowledge. Research on the kind of placements that the previous batches have got. Get into the daily habit of reading newspapers and magazines, as well watching news channels  After the course, fresher’s can join a PR agency for an internship initially for 2 to 3 months. After completing internship, given your performance, you will be hired and promoted as trainee or executive. Therefore, focusing on your PR course and applying the learnings during the internship period is crucial to your selection and career growth. 
 

PR agencies in India
 
Adfactor PR, Genesis Burson-Marsteller, Perfect Relations, MSL, Edelman. Weber Shandwick and Text 100 are amongst the leading PR agencies in India with national presence and cross sectoral expertise. However, boutique agencies working on specialized sectors and regional PR consultancies are on the rise and a great option to start with. 


Women in PR

PR tops the charts amongst equal employment opportunity sectors, with several leading PR agencies in India having women CEOs.

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