Careers in PR

To put it in simple terms, public relation management is concerned with the maintenance of mutual relations and understanding between an organisation and the entire group of publics related to it, which includes shareholders, government, consumers, employees, and the media. The main function of public relation (PR) managers is to ensure proper channel of internal as well as external communication. PR management is gradually developing as a promising career option at a time when private as well as government companies and organizations are facing cut-throat global competition to market their products, services, and facilities.

Course Details
Diploma and Post-Graduate Diploma courses are available in PR management. The duration of most of the courses is one year. The minimum eligibility for these courses is a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline. Apart from this, there are short-term certificate courses available to gain the apt knowledge in public relations. For these courses, the minimum qualification is 10+2 pass, or equivalent.

Career Prospects
PR managers are responsible for effective communication and play an important role in the matter of policy planning. They also maintain healthy coordination between various departments within the organisation itself. Taking the future into consideration, bright career options are waiting for PR managers. They can find suitable employment opportunities in both public and private sectors. Government departments and agencies also require the expertise of PR managers. Besides, they can find job offers in corporate houses and media houses. Banking, finance, insurance, investment, and export firms also look out for PR managers for their proficiency and suggestions. They can further be employed in hotels, tour and travel agencies, and private consultancy firms. Furthermore, they can always find work with political figures, models, and film stars to deal with various aspects of public relations.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
Several institutes offer Degree/Diploma/Certificate courses in PR management. Some most important among them are: Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi; Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi; Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad; Makhanlal Charturvedi University of Journalism, Bhopal; Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai; National Institute of Advertising, New Delhi; Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune; Indian Institute of Management and Technology, Dehradun; YMCA Institute of Media Studies, Delhi; University of Pune, Pune; South Gujarat University, Surat; Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi; Annamalai University, Chennai; Gujarat University, Ahmedabad; Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar; Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai; and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi.

Remuneration
Job opportunities for public relation managers are increasing in leaps and bounds because of the increasing market demand. As such, remuneration of public relation managers is also relatively high. One can expect Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month in the beginning. On gaining experience and expertise, one can reach up to the top level of public relations department, where he/she can be offered higher pay packages.