Things to keep in mind before going for a Public Relations degree

My cousin, a new graduate, turned up the other day asking about Public Relations degrees for higher studies. Utterly confused as all fresh graduates are, she didn’t seem to know much about it. Pieces of information from friends couldn’t clear her doubts as to what exactly the term Public Relations or PR meant, and what it does. So, I thought of listing down the few things that I told her, and hope it will help other Advertising and Public Relation aspirants.

Public Relations or PR is the new buzz word in the diverse world of Marketing, nowadays. PR is, in reality much more than only glamour and blitz as commonly perceived. It has become an integral part of any company these days as it reaches out to a large audience without incurring the expenses of traditional advertising.

To put it in simpler words, it is nothing but maintaining a positive image of an organization in the eyes of the ‘Public’, which might be the company’s customers, stakeholders, or even the Government! An increasing trend has been noticed wherein celebrities and political parties are employing PR agencies to maintain and improve their image and perception.  

Needless to say, a Public Relations degree has been one of the most sought after degrees during the past few years. Students pursuing Public Relations would gain an in depth knowledge of employing communication and multimedia techniques to maintain and manipulate public opinion. PR courses are offered to both under and post graduate students, but I would suggest going for a specified post-graduation degree as it would help widen your horizon of knowledge.

Lots of reputed institutions are offering PR and advertising degrees. To all those who are looking for a career in PR can check them out and gather information, thanks to internet! Lastly, for all the baffled graduates seeking a degree in PR, I would say: Be clear of WHAT you would be doing as a PR professional by knowing what exactly PR stands for, and then head towards your destination! 

Become a more productive event manager

The life of event managers may seem very exciting but they need to get their act together to accomplish multiple tasks at hand. Compromising on productivity is really not an option for them. If you are an aspiring event manager and have pursued or want to pursue one of the good event management courses available, here are some tips for you:

1.Checklists
Even those not involved in the profession of event management construct checklists. It is all the more important for the event managers. Spend some time every morning to plan out your day. It would keep you organized and the tasks on priority can be completed faster.

2.Mark events on a calendar
Make use of the highly useful applications on your phone and keep marking events on those. Being an event manager, you can’t afford to finish work on a last minute basis. Keeping a track of events would also help you make daily checklists.

3.Focus on the task at hand
Give your best to the task at hand. Multi-tasking is important but it diverts the attention of the person. Unless you are extremely efficient at multi-tasking, do the best that you can on the task on priority.

4.Break the bigger tasks into smaller ones
Instead of getting worried due to the magnitude of the project, break down the big project into smaller tasks. Then, as mentioned before, direct all your energy towards the tasks one by one.

5.Identify your most productive time of the day

Some people work well in early mornings and others are more comfortable working at night time. You identify which time suits you the best and work accordingly. However, a career in event management requires you to match your timings with those of others too. You have to strike a balance between working individually in your own time and working with others according to their work schedules and then achieve the best possible results.

You would be surprised to know about my friend who pursued one of the well-known public relations degree and then changed her career line by entering the business of event management. What are your plans?