Moving to a new country is exciting. But picking up the threads of your career again in a new country not so much. Especially if you are doing it on your own. What does it take to start a PR career in a new country? Where do you start?
Our panelists – Akshata Kalyanpur [ Director, Strategic Communications, HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan), Canada] and Sunayana Shetty [Brand and Marketing Lead at Aurizon, Australia’s largest rail freight operator and a top 50 ASX company] shared with us their insights on how to do just that. They joined us for an interesting conversation on the PRPOI Saturday Live Session.
So, if you dream of crafting a global career in Public Relations read on. When you start planning your move to a new country these bullet points will be your ultimate guide.
Professional skills to hone: While a lot of the fundamentals of the PR skills you have learnt in India will hold you in good stead what might change is the strategy, medium and local nuances. What you can work on while you are still in India, is get a firm handle on media communication, corporate communication and leadership communication. Add digital marketing (yes! it is here to stay) as an essential skill to the list. You cannot blank out when CTR, SEM, A/B testing, CPC, PPC, CPM, Bounce rate…etc. is being discussed. You should be able to merge your digital skills into the solid foundation you have built-in PR to be able to come up with impactful plans that are relevant for the organisation you choose to work for.
Life skills to refine: Listening is a key skill that you must develop. Be open to learning and be willing to experiment. Keep refining your writing and communication skills. These are lifelong skills that will always work in your favour.
Creating an advantage: It is very unlikely that the company you want to work with will prefer you over thousands of other local candidates and will sponsor you to move to a new country. All jobs will require you to have the proper permits and immigration or residency status. Unless it is a very specialised job, this is very rare. And such jobs in communication are rare indeed. Place your bets on moving to a new country first with the right work permits and visas and then look for a job. Work agencies and LinkedIn are great platforms to look for a job. While in India, work on global brands to bolster your resume. Alternately, look at working with a global company in India which has a presence in different countries. It might be easier to make a lateral shift and get local experience.
The dignity of labour: No job is too small to take up. You might have to do internships, take a pay cut or take up a job which is a couple of positions lower than what you aimed for. The job market in communication is highly competitive. Get a foot into the door and work your way up. Don’t pigeonhole yourself or get caught up in designations. Don’t be scared of starting from scratch.
Permissions: Before you decide to move to a different country, do your research. Articulate what appeals to you about the PR vertical, position, and country. Start from there. It will lead you to what permissions, visas and residency status you need to have and the mode (work or education or a wild card) of the move you might want to take. While you search for the job you want, keep an eye on the requirements for work permits and immigrations as the case might be for that country. A lot of countries have great websites that list out professions that are eligible for work permits.
Work-Life Balance: We talk about it, but this is a real balance that is expected of you. You will often hear your PR peers and colleagues talk about not having time to do anything else because their work consumes them. This is changing in India but we still have a long way to go. While this might earn you the martyr badge of respect in India, in most countries this is not a sign of healthy work-life balance. It is the quality of work and not the quantity of work that is essential for you to garner respect in the company.
Know the Landscape: Don’t expect the company you apply to know everything about Indian eco-system or brands. You will have to study their market and localise it for them to give context to your work experience by drawing comparisons with existing brands in their country.
Agency or corporate: Both are panellists agreed that working in a local PR agency is a great way to start of a career. It will help you study the local landscape and give you a firm footing.
Find a mentor: This is always a great way to learn. Identify the right mentor who will help you learn the ropes. When you do, put in the time to learn. Pick up local courses that will help you learn the finer nuances. Put in the time.
Have the right attitude: Be confident of your skills and temper it with humility. Humbleness goes a long way. Make an effort to get to know the culture, history and people so you can relate to them.
This should help you get started. The world is your oyster. Start planning where you want to be.
