Leverage technologies, add value to yourselves — PR expert
Students have been urged to leverage existing technologies, such as mobile phones and artificial intelligence, to research and learn soft skills that are necessary for the job market.
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The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of Jospong Group of Companies, Sophia Kudjordji, who gave the advice during an interaction with communication students of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), explained that the job market was highly competitive and in demand of practitioners with added values that could make them stand out.
She, therefore, urged the students to make use of their electronic devices to extensively research, saying it would help them to be abreast of new trends in the professions, as well as have the know-how in tailoring messages to the appropriate audience for the brands they represented to make the needed impact.
Ms Kudjordji was addressing members of the Communication Students Association (CommSSA) of UPSA in Accra last Wednesday during a Public Relations and Communication Conference organised by CommSSA of UPSA in collaboration with the Student Chapter Coordination Committee of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana (IPR Ghana).
It was on the theme: "Elevate and Innovate: Redefining Public Relations and Communications in a Dynamic World".
In attendance were the President of IPR, Mawuko Afadzinu; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of eTransact Ghana Limited, John Apea; a Member of the National Executive Council and Chair of the Student Chapter Coordination Committee of IPR-Ghana, Ms Ivy Heward-Mills, and Dr Paulina Kuranchie, a Lecturer, Researcher and Consultant who joined via zoom.
Also present was the Head of the Communication Department of UPSA, Dr Adwoa Sikayena Amankwah, with other faculty members.
Mr Apea said the evolving nature of public relations with the fast-paced technology required that students in Public Relations kept abreast of new technologies.
He predicted that PR practitioners in the next 10 years would face the challenge of keeping their relevant clients due to significant changes currently going on with new technologies.
He added that only the well-informed PR practitioners who had evolved and had kept abreast of modern trends could keep up and make their clients, brands or institutions relevant to their target audience.
Meanwhile, the President of IPR, Mawuko Afadzinu, who chaired the occasion, urged the students to be inclined with the new demands of the communication field, especially public relations.
He noted that the field of communication offered vast opportunities as communication was central to businesses and the world at large.
Mr Afadzinu, however, advised the students to concentrate on what they wanted to do and pursue it with determination.
Gratitude
The Head of the Communication Department of UPSA, Dr Adwoa Sikayena Amankwah, asked the resource persons to share excellent insight on very practical experiences with the students.
She appealed to the resource persons to leverage their capacity and connection to help secure internship opportunities for the communication students at the UPSA to also secure practical experience to augment the classroom theory.
