Public Relations in India is becoming a demanding career. There is a need for a great talent in this industry. But what it is to be like being a PR Professional in India? If you are on a journey of becoming a PR Professional in India Or you are thinking of pursuing public relations in India as a career –
1. What is the work-life balance like?
As a professional of Public Relations in India you need to deal with multiple stakeholders at the same time. Be it the clients, journalists or your team leadership. Public relations in India is a profession where you have to be able to handle the pressure and manage all your stakeholders at the same time. The crux is that you will have to manage them well. Therefore in the early years, it is important to learn how to handle such relationships in an effective manner. If one fails to learn how to manage this, it’s most likely that they will have great difficulty in achieving a good work-life balance.
2. Does storytelling or content skills matter?
YES! Whether a PR professional is needed to write a press release or a social media post or a thought leadership article or a whitepaper or anything else. They are constantly creating and writing content in different forms. Even when they make a small pitch note describing an idea to a journalist or a detailed press release, they all come under content writing. So content writing is an omnipresent trait that a PR professional in India must-have. You not only have to write grammatically correct content but must also be able to write different kinds of content for different kinds of audiences.
The key is speed, anyone can write content if they have an unlimited period of time but being able to write and switch between various types of content under heavy pressure is what is required.
3. Media Relation Skills
The boundaries of Public Relations in India have transcended beyond just media output. As opposed to 15 or 20 years back the only value added by a PR professional was to get news coverage. This has now shifted to a much larger job role i.e, from media output to reputation management in a larger sense, that involves narratives in multiple media, dealing with different kinds of stakeholders, creating their own platforms and intelligence thought leadership, and so on. Having said that, media relations is still an integral part of the job of a PR professional, though its importance has been decreasing, it is and will continue to be an essential part of a PR professional’s journey.
4. Is the client always right?
The clients know what they want and our job as PR professionals is to deconstruct their goals and help them articulate their goal in a better way that resonates with what they want. It’s obvious that they know their business the best and know what they want, but sometimes they may not be able to articulate their goals in the right way, that is where we as PR professionals come into the play. We can help them put together their goals in a certain way that is better and clearer.
But sometimes as PR practitioners, we need to have the courage to point out the wrong decisions that may have short-term benefits but may prove fatal in the long run. We must remember that we are more of a counselor to the clients we serve, thus we must be able to show our clients the bigger picture and follow the right course of action.
If faced with difficulty while putting forward your points make sure to back them up with facts. Thus, your job is not just to follow orders and push papers, but you should also be able to counsel them when needed.
5. Are PR strategies similar all over India?
India is a diverse country, it is not possible to have the same kind of PR strategy for the entire country. Major PR activities are based in 3 prominent cities- Mumbai. Delhi and Bangalore. But it is important to understand that in India, the population is divided all across the spectrum. We have the richest to the poorest people in the world, 22 official languages, more than 19,500 languages or dialects, 15 languages just on our banknotes, so many cultures, and so many religions, making India a melting pot of diversity. Therefore, a one-size-fits-all communication won’t work in India. Thus, as PR professionals in India we must be able to understand this difference and customize our strategies according to the specific needs of every sector. Never assume that since this strategy has worked in one place that it will work in another place as well.
6. What do you learn in the process?
This profession gives you a chance to know the brands you are working with, inside out.
This is one of the few professions where within the second or third meeting itself, you will be a part of the leadership meetings. There is no specific hierarchical structure when it comes to reputation management, especially in times of crisis. Regardless of how junior or young you are wont matter, you will be called on to take on large responsibilities as such. This means that a “Seat at the table” comes to you very quickly in this profession.
7. Do you have to be a Jack of all trades?
Absolutely! It’s important for you to have fundamental skills such as the basis of public relations but it is also really important for you to know how social media works, how content marketing works, how advertising works, how websites work, how brand marketing works, and so on. Because in all likelihood you won’t just be working along with these teams but you might be responsible for creating some integrated campaigns as well. Thus, a lot of PR firms are expanding to other services as well because they are able to offer them. Thus, you need to be a Jack of all trades, whether you are an expert in any specific task or not but you do need to have an idea about the fundamentals of everything else.
Listen to this podcast to know more career opportunities for PR professionals in various sector
8. Are awareness and connectivity important?
Yes, they are! You need to be aware of what is happening in and around India and the world in terms of businesses and economies. This will help you become proactive and efficient in dealing with any given situation. Thus, it’s important to be alert and on your toes in this profession.
You also need to be as connected as possible, as often as possible, because you never know when an opportunity or crisis comes your way.
9. Is it a good time to be a PR Professional?
There was never a better time than now!
With markets and economies evolving all over the world and in India. More multinational companies are investing in India and Indian brands are also focusing on expanding, reputation or communication managers are in demand. Especially in this post-pandemic era, all businesses are focused on reviving their reputation. Thus, the stage is all set for aspiring PR professionals in India to take over and elevate this profession to greater heights with lucrative career opportunities.
10. How can you become a PR professional in India?
The answer to this last question is simple. THINK SCoRe!
The School of Communication and Reputation offers an intensive 10 months program on Public Relations in India which typically takes 2 years. It includes a series of masterclasses, guest lectures, and interactions. SCoRe believes in and embeds in students to become :
Street-smart — For a tough world
Courageous — For a rough ride, to take initiative, and tackle difficult challenges head-on
Outstanding — In every effort to achieve my maximum professional capability
Restless — To learn, acquire knowledge, and progress
Ethical — No matter how big the stakes and how tough the competition is.
So hurry up and be a part of this profession which offers you an excellent and dynamic career.
Similar Read:
Pros and Cons of working as Public Relations Professional
Life Lessons and Career Advice for Aspiring PR Professionals by Rashmi Naik
