‘Whatever I have achieved to date is because of my professors’

Hailing from Kalimpong in West Bengal, Kritty Gahatraj decided to enroll at Loreto College Kolkata for a Bachelor of Arts, in English Literature (British and Commonwealth batch 2018-21). After graduation, she decided to pursue Post-graduate diploma in Corporate Communications and Event Management and shifted to Delhi.

“I didn’t know much about PR or what corporate communication was all about. But after I got through to Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (AIMC) everything became clear during the orientation class where the industry leaders and professors told us what it would entail. I gladly call myself an Apeejayite today,” Gahatraj said.

Excerpts from an interview.

What made you pursue a Post-graduate Diploma in Corporate Communications and Event Management?

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to have a professional career in mass communication. But I was not sure what it entailed. But after I joined AIMC, during the orientation class, every aspect of Public Relations became crystal clear to me. There were industry leaders who had come to talk about the PR sector. Even the professors at AIMC – Pushpa ma’am and Jaya ma’am – were there to guide us.

I spoke to all of them at length to find out if this programme was the right fit for me. What I learnt intrigued me and here I am a year later working with one of the best PR companies – Genesis BCW – as an Account Coordinator.

How did you end up studying at the Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication?

After my graduation, I was looking to do a course in Mass Communication. During my research, I came across the name of Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (AIMC) among the top 10 institutes for mass communication. What popped up and attracted me the most was the fact there was a lot more teaching through practical training.

Can you elaborate on what the practical training was like?

Most of the teaching was practical. In fact, for nine months, we learnt everything there was to learn about this sector through a hypothetical case study. This was extremely helpful for me since I was coming from a different course. Getting to know about various aspects of PR through this project was such an eye-opener.

How is this mode of learning helping you now?

Through the hypothetical case study, we had to ideate brand campaigns. This is what PR is all about and what I am doing at present. Not only was I trained in PR, but we also did a lot of advertising 360-degree integrated marketing communication. In this, we got to know everything – how the campaign is executed, etc. We even did an event in the college – Mistletoe – for Christmas last year. All this is helping me do my daily work more smoothly.

How did you get your present job? Was it through AIMC campus placement?

This is my first job and it has already been six months. I got this through the institute’s placement cell. Before I got through to Genesis, I was very sad because all my friends had been placed with Adfactors on their first attempt. I was the only one who had not got through.

But my mentors kept my morale up. They encouraged me and kept motivating me. The professors were there to guide and support me. Working for Genesis was my dream job. But I felt I had no chance here. But the faculty helped me prepare for my interview with this company and I cracked it in my first attempt.

“The most important thing to embrace is confidence. You should never think that you are inferior. Second, believe in yourself. Third, manifest what you want”

–Kritty Gahatraj, Account Coordinator, Genesis BCW

Was it a challenge to learn in a practical format online?

While our classes had started online, within two months we were back in the institute for offline classes. We had a lot of fun despite COVID-19. There were several activities. Events like Diwali and Christmas were also organised. We also went for a photoshoot walk. While the course was a quick one, I learnt a lot.

All these things helped me. Before this, I was quite an insecure person since I had never even interned let alone know what it entailed to work for a company. I told my professors that I can’t even hold a proper conversation, how will I sit for the interview? But my hats off to them, especially Pushpa ma’am. Whatever I have achieved to date is because of my professors.

What advice would you like to give Apeejayites who want to work in this industry?

The most important thing to embrace is confidence. You should never think that you are inferior. I used to compare myself with others and found myself lacking. This is a no-no. Second, believe in yourself. Third, manifest what you want. I don’t know if this will work for others, but it sure did for me. For the interview, never try to fake what you are not. You can’t hoodwink the interviewees. Be yourself and be honest. If you don’t know anything, say so; be upfront. Always speak the truth and don’t fake it. Don’t be nervous, the companies know this is your first job and don’t expect you to know everything.