PR discussions: Re: Re: [prpoint] Attitude of students - Need for good Business Communication skills

Very lucid and touching commentary on the state of affairs in our rat infested society...we need a Pied Piper of Prof Ujjwals calibre to direct us towards paths that have a heart or else we run the risk of meandering through life with no wiper to clear those foggy images of ourselves.

Youth are capricious and innocent and do have a mind of their own, but it is upto us to act as their mirrors and guide them through this tempestuous journey by imparting the knowledge that we learnt during our own sojourns

That I believe is the spirit of a true mentor..which I am only beginning to learn
Cheers

On Sat, Nov 28, 2009 at 10:33 PM, Ujjwal Kumar Chowdhury <ukc64@rediffmail.com> wrote:

There is an interesting debate going on in this group about irresponsible behaviour of students while interacting with seniors in the industry on professional issues like internships, placements, projects, assignments, etc.

Being the Director for Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, in two terms, over seven years in total by now, and having met with more than a thousand media students over these years, I felt like sharing a few things. This is also because I do have a fair share of interacting with a large number of young media trainees as we are now the largest media school with 756 PG and UG batches in three campuses across two cities, and PRpoint in an online voting a couple of years earlier voted SIMC as the best place for PR education, apart from PRCI honoring us with Leadership in PR education in early 2009.

I do appreciate that with the proliferation of technology and information boom, change of concepts of inter-generational values and increasing rise of flat organizations even in educational institutes, etc, there has been an overall "dumbing down" of respect for the elders and respect towards experience. This is deplorable, not because the elders are not being given "their due", but because the youngsters do miss out getting "their due" out of the age and experience of the seniors. Beyond all machines and technologies, speed and et al, people with experience and a body of work will always stand out. This the new generation needs to understand, more in their own interests.

I also know how dozens of my past students have come back and told me (almost taught me) things which they have just known in one month internship as 'Truths of the Industry', things which I have been knowing for years through my own exposure in the industry and through the senior batches and friends in the industry!

In a crudely competitive world, where rat race is the only race and mercenary success is the only virtue, and you have an answer for anything and everything through the new god, Google, a rising generation tends to believe in the value of the utilitarian moment than that of the diverse lifetime, and courtesies, decency, mutual respect, honest interactions are becoming a rarity.

The cases in point mentioned by two respected senior PR professionals are just testimony to this recklessness of some of the youth of this generation.

Having said this, in society or industry, among seniors or youngsters, in communication or in politics or academics or business, there are honest souls, straight talkers, and disguised rogues, blatant hypocrites, and relationships-exploiters of all kinds. So, to put the entire debate as a seniors versus juniors, or just on the irresponsibility of the 'students', will be highly misplaced.

I have been 'taught' to start using the internet by a student and 'taught' to use social media (yet learning) by another, both with a gap of ten years between them, and neither has exploited the relations with me. I have seen the 'junoon' or commitment of scores of these 'students' across ten batches now in organizing media meets, green rallies, cultural programs, social campaigns and shooting films on issues of the marginalised people working even sixteen hours a day for days together, with smiles on their faces. I have seen new ideas, new relationships, new hopes emanating from the work of such youngsters. How they have worked for the environment, against terrorism, for communal harmony, and against discrimination. I have seen the son/daughter of a multi millionnaire working for days on in quake ravaged Gujarat or in the interiors of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh.

Most recently, only four days ago, I have lost one of my best students, 19 year old Shreyas Rajagopalan, to cancer. A boy who was taking interviews and writing for a magazine and portal, I have introduced him to, even 48 hours before he passed away, after 14 rounds of heavy chemotherapy. He was also writing a diary-book on Combatting Cancer, and his last mail around a week before death to me was, "If I survive, the day I return to college will make the last line of the book. And, if I die, the last sentence I want to write is that my life was well lived, best used, and very blessed!"

Many of us in 40s to 70s will not have a quarter of the courage of this boy! I am flying to Dubai to honour him posthumously on December 14 with Young Communicator Award at the India Club there, in a major media-communication meet of UAE.

Do not misunderstand me here. This is too recent and hence I am writing this.

Many many of us in our 40s to 70s have been ideologically bankrupt, environmentally unsustainable, have sucked up to many working our way up, have ignored ageing parents and dependent siblings, have misused our positions of power or always dreamt to do so when we did not have one, and have cared a hoot for others in a more discriminatory society during our 20s.

In the same way, some, at times many, of today's generation, are taking their economic freedom, social liberties, technological prowess for granted, and forgetting the fact that this moment is the result of many in the past and precursor to many in the future. That wherever you are, there are millions ahead of you and millions after you. That however hard you run in a rat race, you remain a poor rat ever. That the disrespect you do to elders will come back to you sooner than you expect. That the ego on your 'talent' that you have is as ephemeral as the so-called talent. That the achievement you pride in is due to collective efforts of many you know or may not even know about.

Hence, I will treat every case individually, I will continue to have an immense faith on the youth, more than myself, and will surely hope that the generation Y creates a much better world than generation ME.

Sorry if I have offended anyone, young and the young at heart.

Regards
UKC
Pune

Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury
Dean, Symbiosis International University
Director, Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, Symbiosis Campus
Viman Nagar, Nagar Road, Pune: 14.
Cell: 0-93733-11239.

Delhi:
E/210 (Pocket E), Mayur Vihar Phase II,
New Delhi: 91.

Pune:
40, B/2, Vrindavan Park, Near Mahatma Society
Kothrud, Pune: 29.

Honorary Chairman, ICONS Media & I-Square (Delhi, Kolkata)
Former Media Advisor, Govt of India (Textiles) and The Nippon Foundation

On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:05:13 +0530 wrote
>

surkund's revelation is shocking.

when did this incident occur.

I used to work in PTI, but i left in 1998.

must have been after that.

one things is very clear from all the mails on the subject

a) today's youth/students lack seriousness

b) they lack maturity to handle things which they dont realise is serious and can affet their future

c) parents need to counsel such children before sending them into the organised world of business

d) parents dont have time, because they are all in debt traps, thanks to credit cards, home loans, etc recession etc and they are struggling to make the home survive against all odds. they are afraid to slpeak to children about this reality

e) no sudent worth the salt has the right to cause monetary loss to anyone who is doing things for their welfoare (surkund's example -- i really feel sorry, money does not grow trees - i learnt this bitterly during the period of recession when i was unemplkoyed for seven months and didn't have the money to buy vegetables and milk).

surkund be careful with your money next time.

ashok

On 11/26/09, Shivshankar Surkund <snsurkund@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi there,

I fully endorse the views expressed by Shri Narendra. Being a visiting faculty for over a decade, my experience is also very similar.

Once I decided(of myown) to give some exposure to students and arrange a visit to office of PTI. Over 20 gave names. No contribution was expected from them. I had spent my money.

On the fixed day, only 11 turned up resulting in wastasge of snacks ordered. Those who did not attend, had my phone number. Never thought it fit to contact. They were not even sorry

and were casual, when met next.

Many students attending evening courses, attend day college. Result, they do not give importance to attendance. Mug from some books and answer wrongly. Then argue that they have written what is there in the book, without realising the answer give is for the wrong question.

Worst is, during lectures, make a group and chit chat disturbing others. I had to walk out of the class twice.

I take pains to collect extract from different books and provide brief notes. Hardly any one reads. Not able to recall at least couple of advts. from the morning paper or hoardings located from a location, when they pass every day.

well, the list never ends. Hardly 5 to 10% of the astudents are serious about the studies.

s.n.surkund
>
>--- On Wed, 11/25/09, Narendran A <naren_vna@yahoo.com> wrote:
>

>From: Narendran A <naren_vna@yahoo.com>
>Subject: [prpoint] Attitude of students - Need for good Business Communication skills
>To: "Prime Point" <prpoint@yahoogroups.com>, "Image Management" <image_management@yahoogroups.com>
>Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 4:34 AM
>
>

Dear Friends
>
>Recently we had a dicussion in the group about attitude of students passing out of premier colleges. I wish to highlight an email communication between a student and PR executive
>
>The incident:
>
>A Communication student from a well known Chennai college called our Moderator Mr K. Srinivasan over phone ten days back and wanted a PR internship. Mr Srinivasan asked her to send her profile to his e mail id. The student sent her profile as attachment without any request for internship or covering mail.
>
>Though, her mail had only her profile as attachment, Mr Srinivasan forwarded her profile to me and to Sakthi with a request to help her to get an internship. He also endorsed a copy to her with a request to contact both of us over mobile with more details.
>
>Since, she did not contact either of us for a week, Sakthi sent a mail to the student. I reproduce below Sakthi's mail and her response. I have suppressed the name of the student and the college.
>
>Sakthi's mail to the student:
>
>Dear XXXXXXXX,
>
>This is further to the email sent by Mr. Srinivasan regarding your internship. Have you got any internship or still looking out? pls let me know.
>
>Regards,
>Sakthi Prasanna.
>
>The response by the student:
>
>"I havent got a conformation yet. I am waiting for it. I have applied in XXXXXXX & XXXXX. I am also interested in PR. If i can join your company I would like to know my work profile or what will be my work contribution and other details. My contact no is 9xxxx xxxxx."
>
>(The student's mail did not even contain customary words like dear so and so or hi or even regards, as it was official and for the first time. The response also lack politness, when she seeks an internship. She does not even request an internship. It looks as though, she is going to honour the Agency by joining there as intern. Further She has provided her contact number probably expecting Sakthi to contact her and explain the job profile.)
>
>Though Mr Srinivasan had asked her to contact us over mobile, she did not contact for a week. Atleast on receipt of Sakthi's mail, she should have contacted him over phone for guidance.
>
>Nowadays, many of the mails received from the young students lack humility and politeness. I am sharing this communication with all, so that young students should learn to write good letters/mails. They should develop good communication skills when they write formally.
>
>Even the educational institutions should devote some classes to teach 'Business communication skills'.
>
>Request members to share their views.
>
>Best regards
>Narren
>
>

>

>

--
Prof. Cyril Mani
Dy. Director
Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, Bangalore
95/1,95/2, Electronic City Phase 1, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560100
Tel 91-80-66389969 Cell 9620917838 www.simc.edu

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