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Q1.What
are the areas of work of a
Public relation officer?
Q2.What
are the training Institutes
forthis career ?
Q3.What
are the career prospects and
remuneration ?
Q1.What
are the areas of work of a
Public relation officer?
A1.There are a number of fields
that require the services
of a Public Relations Officer,
which makes this career very
interesting. Some of the fields
are :-
-
Corporate
Sector - shows that there
is more to a particular
organisation than merely
making money; the activities
and attitudes are portrayed
as being beneficial and
friendly towards the public.
-
Government
- deals with informing
the public about the government's
schemes and activities
and showing the overall
benefit of these projects
to society at large
-
Pressure
Groups/Causes/Lobbies
- This is possibly the
most difficult area to
work in, but the most
fulfilling since it deals
with particular groups
of society or organisations
that have been built with
a cause to improve society
in some way or the other.
It is a relatively new
area in India and demands
dedication and extensive
knowledge about the cause
being fought for such
as child labour, women's'
issues, the environment,
political ideology and
so on. The work involves
making the public aware
of the issues through
public programmes, fund-raising,
charity shows, so that
people are inspired to
change and in-turn help
convince the policy-makers.
-
Products
- involves creating a
good image of the product
before it is launched
to ensure that consumers,
retailers, distributors
are enticed by it
-
Public
Personalities - This is
probably the most glamorous
of all the PR jobs since
it deals with building
and enhancing an image
of well-known people such
as politicians, sports
people, musicians, actors/
actresses, writers etc.
-
Public
Sector - aims to show
and prove to the policy-makers
and common person that
the public money is being
spent in a worthwhile
manner
-
Schemes/
Projects - this involves
informing the community
being catered to or the
organisation's employees
about new schemes to reduce
their apprehension towards
change, answer any queries
and show the overall benefit
of these projects
-
Tourism/Hospitality
Industry - quite an important
field since the image
projected will determine
or influence people's
attitudes.
Top
Q2.What
are the training Institutes
forthis career ?
A2.Although formal training
is not essential to become
a public relations officer,
it has proven to be an advantage
especially in the competitive
job scenarios. Most companies
do take on young graduates
in subjects like psychology,
economics, marketing, sociology
etc. and a course in public
relations certainly does improve
chances of being selected
as well as gaining more knowledge
about the career. Experience
is another binding factor
that ensures success. Most
of the courses are offered
as post-graduate courses and
the eligibility rules are
such - Bachelor of Arts in
any discipline, but preferably
the social sciences, liberal
arts and humanities. The course
generally lasts for about
a year and admission is based
on merit (in most cases).
Some of the topics covered
during training are communication,
marketing, advertising, research
methods, media techniques,
media planning, script writing
and editing, news editing,
partial mass media etc. The
course also includes practical
training (one month) where
the students are given the
chance to learn in a public
sector organisation, advertising
agency or something similar.
The
following institutions offer
these courses around India
:- Diploma in PR Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan at Bangalore,
Calcutta, Delhi, Hyderabad,
Madras, Mumbai Diploma in
PR YMCA Institute of Mass
Media Studies, New Delhi (for
graduates) Diploma in PR YMCA,
New Delhi (for graduates)
Diploma in PR New Delhi Polytechnic
for Women (for XII-pass students)
Diploma in PR St. Xaviers
College of Communications,
Mumbai (for graduates) Diploma
in PR Sophia Polytechnic,
B.K. Somani Mumbai (for graduates)
Diploma in PR KC College of
Mgmt, Mumbai (for graduates)
Diploma in PR Somaiya College
of Mgmt, Mumbai (for graduates)
Diploma in PR Symbiosis Institute
of Journalism & Communication,
Pune Graduate Diploma in Advertising
& PR Indian Institute
of Mass Communication, JNU
Campus, New Delhi P.G. Diploma
in PR & Advertising, PR
& Journalism School of
Communication & Mgmt.
Studies, Cochin University
P.G. Diploma in Advertising
& Communications Monjee
Institute of Mgmt. Studies,
V.L. Mehta Rd., Ville Parle
(W), Mumbai Degree Course
South Gujarat University,
P.O. Box No. 49, Udhna Magdalla
Rd., Surat - 395 007 Degree
Course University of Mumbai,
MG Rd., Fort, Mumbai - 400
032
Top
Q3.What
are the career prospects and
remuneration ?
A3.The opportunities are immense
for potential Public Relations
Officers. As outlined in the
'Areas of Work' section, work
can be found in government
offices, private companies,
advertising agencies, tourist
resorts, hotels, banks and
financial institutions, non-governmental
organisations, private consultancy
firms etc. Depending on the
designation and enterprise,
the pay scales will definitely
vary. In a PR department,
we generally only have PRO
and liaison officers (Senior
PR officers are paid on par
with the senior managers in
Hotels/Corporate Sector etc.)
In large consultancy firms,
the hierarchy is much more
prominent - trainee executives,
account executives, senior
account managers, account
director, chief PR directors
are all present therefore
training and experience are
necessary to move up in one's
career (the starting salary
is approximately Rs. 5000)
Government departments usually
have the junior and senior
information officers and they
are paid as per fixed rules. |
