Career In Public Relations Part-ii

PR Agencies
A PR agency in structure resembles an ad agency. It has client servicing, media, and research departments.
Client servicing involves handling clients' accounts for all PR services. This involves devising PR strategy based on the complete understanding of the clients' operations and goals, managing interactions with the media, issuing press briefs, making media presentations and coordinating with all forms of media.
Agencies provide public relation counsel.
Researching and conducting surveys is an ongoing activity in all agencies.
Crisis management as a PR function is also gaining significance
Another important area of work in this field is to create public identity or an image for public figures like political parties, models and film stars. It include advising them on every aspect of personality, including dress code, behavior, statement given in press, public appearances etc.
Lobbying, a new field in this career, involves bringing about the passage of laws favorable to the special interest group they represent like a company, industries, government etc. It is a strategy used to raise public consciousness and influence policy makers in areas like environment, human rights, education etc. This is an interesting area of work in public relation.
Personality Traits
Good Organizational skills
Ability to handle crisis situation
Multi-tasking
Analytical Mind
Excellent communication skills
Diplomatic & Patient
Ability to work under pressure & deadlines
Salaries
An Under Graduate would start at approx. Rs. 5-7,000 per month
Account Executive Starting Position. Approx 2-3 Lacs per annum after a PG degree in Media / Advertising / Mass Communications or an MBA
Senior PR Official - Approx. 25 30 lacs per annum.
Study Routes
Public relations as a subject can be pursued at the graduate level as a full time 3 year degree course .One also has the option of taking it up as a post graduate (graduation in any stream) diploma course. The admission to these courses in public relations is generally through a written test on communication skills.
Class XII, preferred streams are humanities/commerce, graduation in social science/ commerce / public relations.
Graduation in psychology/communication/management/sociology/any related subject
Post Graduate / Diploma in public relations or diploma/degree in management/advertising / mass Communications / public Relations etc
Places to Study
There are many PR colleges which offer degree, diploma courses in PR which are as follow
Under Graduate Degree / Diploma courses -
South Gujarat Univ., Post Box No. 49, Udhna Magdalla Road, Surat - 395007.
University of Mumbai, M G Road, Fort, Mumbai - 400 032.
Makhanlal Chaturvedi University, Bhopal.
Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati-517502.
Gujarat University Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009, Gujarat.
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002 (UP)
Professional postgraduate diploma courses -
Indian Institute of Mass Communication, JNU campus, New Delhi.
Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan's at Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai, Channai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
St. Xavier's College of Communications, Mumbai 400001.
Sophia College, BK Somani Polytechnic, Mumbai.
Symbiosis Institute of Journalism and Communication, Senapati Bapat Marg, Pune-411004.
YMCA Institute of Media Studies,New Delhi.
Somaiya College of Management, Mumbai.
New Delhi Polytechnic for Women, New Delhi.
YWCA, New Delhi.
Narsee Monjee Institute,V L Mehta Road,Ville Parle, Mumbai.
School of Communication and Management, Cochin.
India Foundation for Public Relations Education and Research (IFPR) S-237, GK, New Delhi-110048.
Centre for Image Management Studies, New Delhi.
Distance Education courses
Annamalai University, Directorate of Distance Education, Annamalai Nagar-608002.
Dr. BR Ambedkar Open University, Road 46, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad- 500033.
Punjabi university, Department of Correspondence Courses, Patiala-47002.
Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Vishwavidyalaya, E-8 Shahpur, Bhopal-462016