Priyamvada Chauhan is a trainee account executive at Adfactors PR. She got the job recently through campus placements while pursuing a PG Diploma in Corporate Communications, Public Relations (PR), and Event Management at Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (AIMC). In a candid chat, she talks about the skills she had to work on to crack the job interview.
Edited excerpts:
Did AIMC prepare you well for your professional journey?
Every project that I was part of throughout my journey at AIMC has given me practical exposure to how the industry works. From the course syllabus to the brand case studies and other assignments, everything was tailored to help us learn essential professional skills. All of it helped me in cracking interviews and continues to help me in my job even today. In just one year of the course, AIMC made me industry-ready.
Also Read: ‘Internship introduced me to the corporate industry, opened up new opportunities’
What kind of support did you get from the AIMC professors?
They helped build my personality. It is thanks to my professors who instilled the right values and skills in me that I am able to perform well in my current job. My professors believed in my potential and made me work on my strengths and weaknesses accordingly. I am grateful to Pijush sir and all my other mentors for helping me.
What kind of skills have you had to work on to crack campus placements?
As an introvert, I knew I had to work specifically on my communication skills for the profession I wanted to enter into. This is one area where my mentors at AIMC helped me improve a lot. You miss out on a lot when you do not communicate, so that’s the foremost skill you need. I also learnt how to write press releases, pitch notes, make media lists, and so on. I got hands-on exposure through various events at college. I also learnt management skills. Overall, I am really proud of what I have transformed into through my journey at AIMC.
Can you share some tips to ace a job interview?
Since it was my first job interview, I was very scared. We tend to overthink before entering the interview room. But all you need to do is to calm down, take deep breaths, and not put too much pressure on yourself. If you are able to crack the interview, kudos, but even if you don’t it can still be counted as a learning experience. Failure teaches you more and that is the mindset I had during my placements.
Having said that, I had several mock interviews at AIMC before the placements, which prepared me well enough to face recruiters. I was thorough with all the concepts related to PR and also about the company, which are very important.
Moreover, don’t make any mistakes in your resume. Practise communicating your thoughts the right way.