The role of Public Relations has always intrigued me to start my career as a PR professional at a very young age. I too, had my doubts and challenges about this industry like every other beginner when I started it. I soon began to work for a PR agency, where I gradually understood my true potential, which fascinated me to learn and explore what PR has to offer me. 

Getting to where I am today was not easy. Each day, I had to face my struggles with optimism. Dealing with public and media opportunities were two of the first obstacles I faced. Media research and taking notes have always kept me alert on my toes and allowed me to seize every opportunity that comes my way. I spend at least 30 minutes a day keeping up with industry news, and my hunger for knowledge has helped me achieve what I am now. 

To begin with, Public Relations has never only been about media relations. It is one of the PR tools, and others are hardly known and explored. Public relations is a strategic communication approach that helps organizations and their public mutually. It is also about shaping and framing the public perception of an organization by engaging with stakeholders across numerous platforms.

The PR sector has always encouraged young talent to explore their strengths by giving them an opportunity to connect with great minds and top brands. However, it could be challenging initially yet very effective to build one's personality and self-worth. Learning the value of time and continuous self-growth are the main advantages of PR.

Having been in the industry for years and working with top brands at the age of 23, PR has offered enormous exposure and the right connections for my career and personal growth. Staying dedicated and strategizing my work has always helped me achieve my goals.

Girish Balachandran, a founder at "On Purpose" and my manager Usha Agarwalla, trusted me with every decision I made and every calculated risk I took. Despite any reservations, the company supported my ideas from day one and allowed me to make mistakes and learn from them. It is my firm belief that each person has a special gift, but they need the right platform to showcase it. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been given complete freedom and exposure by a great leader to discover my true potential.

With the rise of the ever-growing importance of ethics, PR will be more vital than ever in the coming years. In conclusion, I would say, to be a successful millennial PR professional you need to understand your client, know your media, enhance your content and be patient.

 Aryan Srivastava is account executive, ON PURPOSE