32. Masterclass with Rashmi Naik at SCoRe

“If writing doesn’t excite you, then you are not reading enough. Once you start reading, writing becomes effortless.” This was one of the many learnings that we took from our session with Mrs Rashmi Naik, Managing Partner, Global South Continuum- LDV  at School of Communication and Reputation (SCoRe). In her one and a half-hour session, she managed to give us multiple insights and tips for our lives and our career as PR professionals.

At SCoRe we have regular masterclasses, where professionals from the corporate communication industry come to interact with the students. Each session is unique in its own way and this one was no less. Amidst the regular talks about core PR and corporate communication, her session was like a breath of fresh air. Following are some of the advice she gave the aspiring PR professionals to apply in their career:

·         Punch a little above your weight: By this, she meant that do more then you are expected to. Move out of your comfort zone and give a little extra in whatever you are doing. Always have a disruptive element in your ideas and work, because thinking out of the box is always better.

·         Being aware of technology can give you an edge: This applies to even simple things such as converting a pdf into word format. Small technological knowledge like this will make your work easier and save you a lot of time which you can spend doing something productive.

·         Replace fear of the unknown with curiosity: Nothing is certain, so why don’t we stop worrying about the unknown and instead start questioning. Curiosity is the key, always ask questions. But how? But why? But, just about everything. If you don’t want to disturb anybody, search for the answer, google it, but always have a questioning mind.

·         Be aware of fake news: Especially in the profession of communication, be very aware of disinformation and misinformation. Use technology to verify everything. Be your own fact-checker and always investigate and research before communicating.

·         Read and write in your mother tongue: It is very important to be grounded in your mother tongue, just go back and discover the love for your mother tongue. Dual language gives you an added advantage.

·         Read like a maniac: Read extensively, it is going to make your writing better. Adding to this point she explained, why we should read poetry. Poetry uses very less space but packs in so much information. I will teach you a lot and will reflect in your writing. It is sophisticated and intelligent storytelling.

Apart from the career advice, she touched upon the nuances from our lifestyles that we ignore but are of utmost importance. She gave us some interesting life tips such as:

·         The importance of investing early.

·         To not be judgemental when starting new jobs, don’t hate or love a job too soon, give it at least 6 months.

·         To not postpone your life’s decision based on other factors, given that you really want it.

·         When should you cut your losses?

·         And finally to take care of ourselves properly.

Finally ending her session she said, “The paradigms have changed completely and the possibilities now are endless. Challenge yourself and be out there. Gain experience and learn every step of the way.”