Relations in professional ambit

Tarunjeet Rattan 

Public relations in India is an evolving field and so is the job description. This overall positive scenario also presents a few unique challenges that the industry professionals need to address. In this field, one should be constantly learning the process. While there are some evergreen skills that you can rely on to help you get a job in the industry, there are several new skills that must be mastered to progress. What you thought was a typical PR job with a definite job description might not be so today and will certainly not hold true in the future. 

If you are looking forward to pursue a career in PR, here are the job roles of the future:

Communication strategist: Top brands have carved out this exciting niche in the PR field. The individual will look into creating a strategy for brand communication. She will not only look at the reputation management of the brand across the editorial media, but also paid media. She will also design media plans and manage on ground events. 

Marketing communication specialists: This is fast becoming the need of the hour and is a job that is here to stay. Traditional editorial media is going through its own transitions as they battle the onslaught of digital media. Also, the media is moving towards advertorial or paid-media models. While that happens, a brand will not stop exploring new mediums to reach out to its target audiences. The PR professional of the future must get creative. They are expected to ideate and create high-impact opportunities for the brand to engage with its audiences in a relevant manner.  

Digital PR manager: If the target audience is consuming news digitally, then a PR professional is expected to create organic engagement on this medium. From understanding the audience, ideating campaigns and implementing the creative and logistical part of it, there are many jobs that a digital PR manager has to take up. 

Crisis manager: With modes of communication and information consumption habits rapidly changing, it is difficult for a brand to manage reputation. One WhatsApp or tweet or Facebook share can do the damage. Add to this, if respected mediums of communication pick up the trending news, then the crisis really hits home. A crisis manager is an essential job role of the future. This individual will have to understand, manage and be vigilant of fake news across mediums along with managing potential external and internal brand disasters that can turn into a crisis.  

Collaboration specialists: This is an interesting profile for a PR professional to take up. This individual will spot opportunities for brands and companies to collaborate with to bring about a more meaningful brand experience for the customer. While marketing takes care of the widespread visibility, this specialist will render depth to the experience.  

—The writer is founder of Nucleus PR

Start early to excel

All the above job roles in PR are in existence in some form or the other right now. If you really want to make a career for yourself in the field, then you need to start accumulating skills that will help you be the best at one of them, over and above the general job profile of a PR professional. Your internships play a crucial role as well. It is always recommended that before you get into a PR job, experiment with your internships while in college so that you are job ready when you finish your course. 

Try out a role in multiple related fields that will give you an idea about what you will be dealing with. One must do an internship in a media house, PR firm or marketing, advertising, digital firm, depending on the role you are gunning for. These internships also give you an opportunity to find a mentor. Start with being a generalist, before you move into the role of a specialist. Remember, the stronger your foundation is, the better the start and the faster your growth in the field will be.

Top five skills that PR firms look for in a candidate: 

• Right attitude 
• Communication skills: written and spoken 
• Research skills 
• Creativity 
• Multi-lingual skills