A lot of students have been calling me off late. Most of them who have given the HSC (12th grade) examination call to seek advice on whether or not to take BMM. Let me put at the on set, I am not a big expert, but having done BMM myself (graduated in 2007) I posses a decent understanding about how the next 3 years for a student opting to do BMM would be and what there career prospects could be.A student of BMM will have to go through 36 different subjects over the 3 years ranging from, Economics, Political Science, Creative Writing, Broadcast Journalism, Niche Magazine Journalism, Photography, Introduction to PR, Media Studies, Culture Studies, Understanding Cinema etc..
It is in the last year of the course that one has to select a specialisation - Advertising or Journalism. However the dilemma for many who call me (especially from Commerce) is whether the professional course has an immediate job prospect? I answer by saying YES. Many still have doubts. Will they have to struggle and slog a lot to reach the desired post? Guess what YES.
Guaranteed employment a myth?
It is not the case with only BMM or BMS or even BAF etc. It is with every
field. Tell me one field which confirms employment? Students will have to start from junior roles and learn the tricks of
the trade by being in an area of interest. Where money is riding high, not
every individual gets prime responsibility immediately. There are jobs
available both in print and electronic media, one has to get in spend years and
then apply what they have learned at the courses. I did it it the same way.
Learned the hard way. I know my friends who took jobs as PR, copy writers, creative associates, short-film-makers, assistant directors, content writers, digital strategists, communication managers, copy-editors, proof-readers etc. Everything that is taught at the course in 3 years is a window to the big professional set-up. You will have to be a jack of all trades and (unlike the complete proverb) eventually you will end up becoming a master of something. What is important is each step you take and the experiences you gain from it.
Remember, while you are learning these subjects in an academic set-up, add value to your over-all personality by learning, graphic designing, movie-editing, nuances of English language, MS Office, a bit of accounting and commerce. All these soft-skills will somewhere help you in securing a much lucrative job. You never know you may start your own editing or graphic designing studio. So get ready to explore while you take a deep plunge into the world of Mass Media.
