Hi all! Being in the media industry for 5 years and having worked as a journalist and having written for some of the top brands of the country and the world (Associated Press, Hindustan Times, Outlook, The Pioneer, Indian Express, Rock Street…
Hi all!
Being in the media industry for 5 years and having worked as a journalist and having written for some of the top brands of the country and the world (Associated Press, Hindustan Times, Outlook, The Pioneer, Indian Express, Rock Street Journal (RSJ) and now PaGaLGuY 
), I've learned a thing or two about how to break into that cool and creative industry called media :D.
Now I don't claim to be a know-it-all, but for all those who are interested or curious about a career in the Media, Journalism, TV, Radio, Web, Internet startups or Advertising, I can guide you with where to start your thought process from.
So shoot any questions about a career in the media and I'll be happy to answer them for you!
Others who have had some experience in this area too are free to put in their thoughts :D
Cheers,
Apurv
What I do at PaGaLGuY - Editor
I am a B.Tech (IT) 2008 pass out and I am planning to do my MBA within 2-3 years. I am interested in Finance and how can we make a career in business journalism, like say business channels(ndtv profit,cnbc) ?
nv_kkd SaysI am a B.Tech (IT) 2008 pass out and I am planning to do my MBA within 2-3 years. I am interested in Finance and how can we make a career in business journalism, like say business channels(ndtv profit,cnbc) ?
Hey,
Since you do not have a background in Finance, an MBA in Finance will help you crossover to the terminology of business and help you learn how to interpret business news around you - something you need in order to be a business journalist.
One thing you ought to know that although life as a journalist will be very exciting and full of new things each day, it won't pay as much as a regular finance job. However, the pay won't be a pittance either and you will live a comfortable life - if not stinking luxurious.
These days many media organizations hire from B-schools for planning and strategy roles. Since media organizations tend to be a lot less rigid internally than pure corporates, you can push your way through to the editorial side within the company if you are able to prove yourself. If it's a TV channel like NDTV or CNBC, they will look for a good grip over the subject, unlimited curiosity to learn and above average communication skills. So you should start working on these already!
However, you do not need an MBA in order to be a business journalist. Most business journalists out there are usually Economics/Commerce graduates who have maybe done a Master's degree in media from a mass communication school. A lot of them are former print journalists who crossed over to TV after becoming really good with the basics of journalism. If you're already a keen follower of the subject and are comfortable with it, you should instead try for a media degree instead of an MBA.
Getting a job - unlike other sectors, media still does not have a very clear cut hiring channel. There is no mass media school that they necessarily go to nor do you find their job advertisements in newspapers. A lot of hiring happens via your contacts through uncles or aunts in the media. So you have to network a lot, make the right decisions when you do a summer internship at a mass communication school, etc.
The best way to get into business news TV is to first get a job with a business newspaper, work there for 2 years and build a brand for your name. TV will love to hire you if you manage to become an authority in a particular sector - infrastructure, IT, automobiles, etc. Hope that paints some sort of a picture!
Hi Apurv,
Thanks a ton for starting something like this. I have a lot of queries. I had done my B.Tech(IT), in 2005 and have been working with a renowned IT company for just above 3 years. I have been part of an in-house group formed by the employees, wherein I have been actively involved in the organization and promotion of a plethora of cultural events during these three years including the orgainzation of our two months long Annual Festival, which is held on a massive scale.
Apart from conceptualization and coordiantion of these events, my major contribution has come through my marketing of these events by drafting "out of the box" e-mails, screen savers, posters etc., actually devising the whole "communication and marketing" startergy with a team of like minded people. My e-mails and ideas have been appreciated by my peers, friends and once or twice by my company's marketing team.
Also, I am known among my friends for my impressive social networking skills and a decen sense of humor, owing to which I have lots of friends from diverse cultural backgrounds.
With respect to all of the above, I started felling that I do not enjoy what I am currenlty doing in the IT industry and thereby I am inclined to a career in marketing, or to be more precise, advertising. But the point is that I have a good experience in IT and I am earning a decent salary, therefore I am not sure how to make this transition, sinc, on a practical note, I just cannot leave my job and go for a 10,000/month type of start-up job.
So I have decided of doing an MBA in Marketing from a reputed institute and opt for a career in Brand management where my creative and inter-personal skills would be utilized, alonmg with atleast a decent compensaiton in hand. Just to give you an idea that I am very serious about this, and all this is not a one night's thought, I have already scored 710 in GMAT.
Can you please comment on this. Do you think that going into Brand Management would help me satisfy my creative pursuits. Is Brand Management comparbale or close to advertising. I know that I sound a bit confused, but can you please comment on the same. Sorry for such a long query.
Also, one more thing, MICA looks like an option, but its a two year course and I am more interested in a one year course due to personal reasons.
Thanks for your time.
navjotsnanda SaysDo you think that going into Brand Management would help me satisfy my creative pursuits. Is Brand Management comparbale or close to advertising. I know that I sound a bit confused, but can you please comment on the same. Sorry for such a long query.
Hi Navjot,
In the events you've been involved as you mention, what you've done is a mini rough version of what parts of brand management is all about. However brand management is taken in multiple senses these days and depending on the company you work in, it could mean a different job profile.
One kind of brand management - is about closely monitoring the performance of a certain brand (let's say Pepsi) in the market both financially and market penetration wise and implementing tweaks. These are basically data-driven middle-level marketing profiles. Typically, this kind of a brand manager would first commission a market research agency to track the performance of the brand in the market and then based on what he learns, will ask his advertising and PR agency to make changes in or create a new campaign or change the look and feel of the product. The engagement in creative tasks by the brand manager himself is minimal and he largely coordinates the performance of a brand in a data-driven and result-oriented way.
The second context of brand management is design-oriented in addition to being data-oriented and is a slightly more creative job. These type of brand managers work closely with an in house design team on how a product should look like, how the logo should be designed and what it should convey, what colors should not be included on the packaging, what should the taglines convey, how much of the ingredients be revealed, should there be text for a customer to lodge a complaint, etc etc.
Depending on the cultures in companies, brand managers would have either the first or the second type of profiles. However in any case, the Brand Manager is expected to only act as a glue between the marketing and the creative process and not end up replacing the graphic designer or ad copywriter in his team. His objective is to get quality work out of the creative team and make it work in the market. In fact a Brand Manager trying to do too much creative work could be seen as intrusive and the creative team would only end up calling him bossy and overbearing. At the end of the day, a Brand Manager is measured by the success he brings about in performance - which does not necessarily have a direct correlation with high levels of creativity. The best and smartest ads don't necessarily get people to buy your product - they only end up in the Cannes festival and are worth the trophy ;).
So that's the way it works. If anybody has a perspective, do add it in here 😃
Hi Apurv,
Thanks for taking this initiative...
My query relates to Bollywood...
Nowadays Bollywood is churning out more movies than ever and the monies involved have been continuously on the rise and with the entry of corporate houses (Like ADAG) into the industry in a "BIG" way will make all the process more professionalized making Bollywood one of the best platforms to build a career on, this is wat i believe...
The part i am interested in, is the Production and Marketing of Movies, Mainly Marketing...Can u please throw some light on this aspect and guide on how to get into this field? How far will a MBA in Marketing help or i need to think of something else...
I hope i made some sense...I may have missed out on some imp aspects or questions here...Have no experience of this field..working in an IT MNC from 1 year..but i wanna get into this field..
Thanks,
RD.
Hi all!
Being in the media industry for 5 years and having worked as a journalist and having written for some of the top brands of the country and the world (Associated Press, Hindustan Times, Outlook, The Pioneer, Indian Express, Rock Street Journal (RSJ) and now PaGaLGuY), I've learned a thing or two about how to break into that cool and creative industry called media :D.
Now I don't claim to be a know-it-all, but for all those who are interested or curious about a career in the Media, Journalism, TV, Radio, Web, Internet startups or Advertising, I can guide you with where to start your thought process from.
So shoot any questions about a career in the media and I'll be happy to answer them for you!
Cheers,
Apurv
What I do at PaGaLGuY - Editor
I would like to know the prospects of a career in Media/Mass Communication.I am a B.Tech(Comp Sc), but think i would do well in the field of mass com.Can u suggest some good institutes for it?
Thanks yaar
Hi Apurv,
Thanks for taking this initiative...
My query relates to Bollywood...
Nowadays Bollywood is churning out more movies than ever and the monies involved have been continuously on the rise and with the entry of corporate houses (Like ADAG) into the industry in a "BIG" way will make all the process more professionalized making Bollywood one of the best platforms to build a career on, this is wat i believe...
The part i am interested in, is the Production and Marketing of Movies, Mainly Marketing...Can u please throw some light on this aspect and guide on how to get into this field? How far will a MBA in Marketing help or i need to think of something else...
I hope i made some sense...I may have missed out on some imp aspects or questions here...Have no experience of this field..working in an IT MNC from 1 year..but i wanna get into this field..
Thanks,
RD.
Who doesn't like to talk about movies
You're right about the corporatization of Bollywood - Big, Studio18, UTV, etc. Even the old family businesses like Yashraj and Rajshri are feeling the heat and turning a tad more professional.
An MBA in Marketing will help you get there provided you make the right choices about the first job and the summer internship. You could intern in an entertainment house like Sony Entertaiment Television or BBC (which come to MICA, SIBM and other places). Use it to leverage a final placement into an entertainment company. Not all movie corporates go to B-schools, so you'll have to put in individual effort to apply to these companies in your 2nd year. If your placement cell can arrange that company, nothing like it.
You may spend a couple of years in a TV company to learn about the industry and then change jobs to a movie production company later. Networking insanely will help you a lot here.
But if you begin a marketing career in a completely different domain - IT, FMCG, Telecom etc, then it might be tough for you to change later. So even though these sectors would offer more money than the entertainment sector, you'll have to resist succumbing to money temptation - something that people find tough to do in a b-school environment :).
I would like to know the prospects of a career in Media/Mass Communication.I am a B.Tech(Comp Sc), but think i would do well in the field of mass com.Can u suggest some good institutes for it?
Thanks yaar
That's a very broad question and you can easily find all the answers by using Google properly :D.
Apurv SaysThat's a very broad question and you can easily find all the answers by using Google properly :D.
Well what i exactly mean is that i am A B.Tech and then to go into this highly creative field of Mass Communication seems to be too big a risk to take .But the point is that i am very strong at the Va section in the Sim Cats consistantly scoring above 95% but i am veak at quants inspite of being amn Engg. That is one of the main reasons i asked u this Queation as i am totally new to this field.How do u apply to Mass communication Colleges? also if they have their own tests or they take in through CAT.If they have thier own tests what would be the type of papers for the entrance Exam.Also what would be the Career prospects of a Mass communication Post-Graduate.The initial pay package and Placements through College,etc...
Sorry for asking so many Question,ans only those u feel r imp!!!
Hi Navjot,
In the events you've been involved as you mention, what you've done is a mini rough version of what parts of brand management is all about. However brand management is taken in multiple senses these days and depending on the company you work in, it could mean a different job profile.
One kind of brand management - is about closely monitoring the performance of a certain brand (let's say Pepsi) in the market both financially and market penetration wise and implementing tweaks. These are basically data-driven middle-level marketing profiles. Typically, this kind of a brand manager would first commission a market research agency to track the performance of the brand in the market and then based on what he learns, will ask his advertising and PR agency to make changes in or create a new campaign or change the look and feel of the product. The engagement in creative tasks by the brand manager himself is minimal and he largely coordinates the performance of a brand in a data-driven and result-oriented way.
The second context of brand management is design-oriented in addition to being data-oriented and is a slightly more creative job. These type of brand managers work closely with an in house design team on how a product should look like, how the logo should be designed and what it should convey, what colors should not be included on the packaging, what should the taglines convey, how much of the ingredients be revealed, should there be text for a customer to lodge a complaint, etc etc.
Depending on the cultures in companies, brand managers would have either the first or the second type of profiles. However in any case, the Brand Manager is expected to only act as a glue between the marketing and the creative process and not end up replacing the graphic designer or ad copywriter in his team. His objective is to get quality work out of the creative team and make it work in the market. In fact a Brand Manager trying to do too much creative work could be seen as intrusive and the creative team would only end up calling him bossy and overbearing. At the end of the day, a Brand Manager is measured by the success he brings about in performance - which does not necessarily have a direct correlation with high levels of creativity. The best and smartest ads don't necessarily get people to buy your product - they only end up in the Cannes festival and are worth the trophy ;).
So that's the way it works. If anybody has a perspective, do add it in here :)
Hi Apurv,
Thanks a lot for the response. I have some more queries :). Since you mentioned that the profile of a Brand Manager might not be so creative, what do you think about a Creative Director in an advertising firm. I have read a lot about the same on the internet and found out that its generally an art director or a copy writer which gradually becomes a Creative Director, but that may not necessarily be the case. Would an MBA in Marketing help me in being a Creative Director, since there is no such "particular" degree as such associated with the role of a Creative Director, but still how would you rate such an option (MBA-Marketing). If it does help, then please throw light on what type of B-schools should I seek for such a career, a regular one such as SPJAIN Dubai/Singapore or a more specialized one such as MICA, Ahmedabad.
Thanks
Navjot
Hi Apurv,
Thanks a lot for the response. I have some more queries :). Since you mentioned that the profile of a Brand Manager might not be so creative, what do you think about a Creative Director in an advertising firm. I have read a lot about the same on the internet and found out that its generally an art director or a copy writer which gradually becomes a Creative Director, but that may not necessarily be the case. Would an MBA in Marketing help me in being a Creative Director, since there is no such "particular" degree as such associated with the role of a Creative Director, but still how would you rate such an option (MBA-Marketing). If it does help, then please throw light on what type of B-schools should I seek for such a career, a regular one such as SPJAIN Dubai/Singapore or a more specialized one such as MICA, Ahmedabad.
Thanks
Navjot
It is safe to say that MBAs very rarely become Creative Directors. The two disciplines have nothing to do with each other. I mean in this world there are doctors who end up becoming musicians (eg Euphoria's Palash Sen) but they did not become musicians because of their doctor training. It happened completely on their personal steam and they would have become musicians even without a doctor's degree. So no correlation between MBA and Creative Directors.
Degrees that will help you be a Creative Director? They are - National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad's PG degrees in various streams, an advertising degree from Jamia Milia Delhi's MassCom School or one of the many excellent schools abroad (NYU School of Arts, USC). Or you could start as a copywriter in an ad agency and if you're good, you'll rise up the ranks. You will start in a junior position and depending on your ability and smart decisions on the way, you'll be a Creative Director by the time you're about 40-45.
I should address a basic issue here. All media jobs involve struggle in the first 2-3 years. You can either have a cool creative job or earn good money. You can rarely make both in the beginning. Everyone in that industry has taken a risky decision when they were young, have struggled and proven themselves - there is no reason why anyone else should expect a smooth sailing :).
Thanks for the response...
Can u elaborate some more on the Marketing and Production parts and the responsibilities involved...Also Production and Marketing are two different fields, aren't they? How far will a MBA in Marketing help in Production?
Thanks,
RD.
Who doesn't like to talk about movies
You're right about the corporatization of Bollywood - Big, Studio18, UTV, etc. Even the old family businesses like Yashraj and Rajshri are feeling the heat and turning a tad more professional.
An MBA in Marketing will help you get there provided you make the right choices about the first job and the summer internship. You could intern in an entertainment house like Sony Entertaiment Television or BBC (which come to MICA, SIBM and other places). Use it to leverage a final placement into an entertainment company. Not all movie corporates go to B-schools, so you'll have to put in individual effort to apply to these companies in your 2nd year. If your placement cell can arrange that company, nothing like it.
You may spend a couple of years in a TV company to learn about the industry and then change jobs to a movie production company later. Networking insanely will help you a lot here.
But if you begin a marketing career in a completely different domain - IT, FMCG, Telecom etc, then it might be tough for you to change later. So even though these sectors would offer more money than the entertainment sector, you'll have to resist succumbing to money temptation - something that people find tough to do in a b-school environment :).
Thanks for the response...
Can u elaborate some more on the Marketing and Production parts and the responsibilities involved...Also Production and Marketing are two different fields, aren't they? How far will a MBA in Marketing help in Production?
Thanks,
RD.
True. A you said, production and marketing are two totally different fields. For example, a TV channel will have two departments: Production for making the programmes, and Marketing, to publicise them.
As a producer for a TV channel, you are not involved with the production of the show per se, but with the programming aspects.
As a Programming Executive, you are in charge for the actual making of the programme. You do not make the programme yourself. There is a production house for that. Your job is to coordinate with them. You are the so-called celebrity manager in case of a reality show, or a hard-to-please creative officer demanding the most impossible storyline from the producers of a TV show.
I remember one scene: A famous Creative Director was suffering from low TRPs (the bane of every TV channel) for the channel's highlight soap. It was 'suggested' to the producer to incorporate a stabbing scene in the programme. Within the week, the scene was telecast. TRPs, of course, improved.
The job is not too different, I guess, in a corporate production house for films. There are many films on the floor at the same time (sound stages, to be exact) each with its own team. Corporate needs to have a liasioning officer that ensures that the director does not go too overboard in the more costly aspects of the shoot, the actors are not being too troublesome, and so on and so forth. Usually, there's a team that handles each film.
Marketing, on the other hand, is totally different. For both, TV & Film, you are in charge of publicity for the product. Since this is not your normal soap, detergent, or telephone connection, you have to be innovative in the marketing. Also remember that for TV & Film, PR is a pure-play marketing activity. So whatever news you see on TV or in the papers is a paid/unpaid activity carried out by the marketing team. There is also the normal vanilla marketing team that ensures the usual hoardings, TV & Press Ads et al. All the contests, website promotions and such are designed by the marketing team. Even the news items that you see are cut and made by the marketing team and sent to the news channels.
As for getting into summers during your MBA, you need to be in highly specific courses like MICA, or SIBM's MBA (Marcom), or IIMC, or SIMC. Even the Marcom course will put you in the Marketing dept, not the Programming/Production aspect. The others - well it depends on what you have gone through in the previous days. Work your donkey off, impress them, and get a PPO.
This is just the actual corporate. You can also look at agencies - which are of many types. There are News Channels and PR Agencies, Production Houses and Media Coordinators, Ad Agencies and a lot more. Look around, and you'll see lots of such things floating around.
Regards,
Grondmaster
Well what i exactly mean is that i am A B.Tech and then to go into this highly creative field of Mass Communication seems to be too big a risk to take .But the point is that i am very strong at the Va section in the Sim Cats consistantly scoring above 95% but i am veak at quants inspite of being amn Engg. That is one of the main reasons i asked u this Queation as i am totally new to this field.How do u apply to Mass communication Colleges? also if they have their own tests or they take in through CAT.If they have thier own tests what would be the type of papers for the entrance Exam.Also what would be the Career prospects of a Mass communication Post-Graduate.The initial pay package and Placements through College,etc...
Sorry for asking so many Question,ans only those u feel r imp!!!
Being strong in VA does not automatically translate into having an aptitude for the masscom field. AFA applying to masscom colleges goes, I suggest you look up MICA & SIMC in the search threads of this forum. That'll surely help you out.
AFA placements and such other things go, you'll easily get them too there, once you search. So...
Regards,
Grondmaster
hiii can u plz tell me which r best institutes offering 1 yr advertising course as i will b preparing for cat after my graduation while doing preparation i want to go for some beneficial course in advertising and communication......from which month admission notification is declared....what is placement criteria after doing this course...
hi apoorve , my query is that do anybody like me having degree in engg IT fresher can obtain a entry level postion in mktg department of movie production houses like eros,utv n others on basis of talent n interest n can i climb the corporate ladder without mba on just basis of exp (as i cant do it fr few years on personal resons)
waiting for your reply thanks
i am a software engineer with 2 yrs experience........
i am interested in advertising and sports management........
what do u guys think that having a technical background wud benefit in advertising.......
whats the start up for sports management.........
if i want to percieve it where do i need to percieve my management.and in which field?
i personally feel that marketing wud be the best field for all such career options.
but wud like feedback from u elite PUYS.
Hi, I am working as a copy writer for the past 1.5 years. i joined office immediately after my grads. I am thinking of pursuing mass comm from IIMC. What do you suggest? Is that a wise career move given the present economic turmoil?