Dear MxM by Jaisurya Das: What course should I do to be a copywriter?

By Jaisurya Das

 

Ladies and Gentleman, it’s lovely to have you back this 25th week of July 2016. Earlier today, I watched the 2015 ‘Ted ‘Talk featuring Monika Lewinsky who had then resurfaced after her long hiatus. This had me gripped right through the video for more than one reason.

I just realised that it was so important for a lot of us to understand that criticism and venom of the order she was target of, that it can do permanent damage to an individual’s life.

Monika Lewinsky made the horrendous mistake of falling in love with her boss and the rest was history. I honestly wonder if anyone would have batted an eyelid if this wasn’t the President of the United States of America she was in love with.

Probably not considering, office affairs are as common as the Cold now and rarely does anyone give it significance. Today, even the gossipmongers are busy with their own lives to bother about such trivia.

For me, her forthright talk was a ghastly reminder of the power of the internet and how it can systematically make or break almost anything and instantly at that! People have lost lives and fortunes to it and yet it remains the most addictive vice humans can have.

To add to this, we now have this huge behemoth of confusion we call Social Media. This is probably the most involving catalyst of ego massage.

It’s almost like a child being given candy each time they need a pat on the back. Each ‘like’ is addictive and before you realise it, your’e counting the candy your photograph or post is receiving..

More often than once you find your social media friends reacting and commenting almost as though they own what you write or post!

Often making fools of themselves too.

I enjoy social media too and confess to being pretty much part of this madness, with little or no option but to resign myself to this new found intelligence in the connected world.

Yes, this is the new order! Be petted and pampered silly with ‘likes’ and live in a virtual world thats as confusing as it is loveable.

Today it’s ‘Pokemon Go’ , but soon it will be our life that will need us to wander randomly in search of serenity. The kind we enjoyed in our old disconnected world…Amen.

 

As always, i overshot my brief and went on with my introduction rather than taking you to our Q&A for the week..

 

This week we have an interesting set of queries from our readers in Pune, Goa and Hyderabad. Read on my friends..

 

Sir, I recently got rejected in the job interview of a leading newspaper. The reason: I did not know who’s the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? Also, I did not the capital of Arunachal Pradesh. Now I do realise that these are grave errors, but are they grave enough that I was turned back only because of this? I am sure the editor also does not know who is the head of state of a country like, say, Nigeria? Or Cambodia? Or even Brazil!

Hello and thanks for writing in to Dear MxM. May I at the outset reassure you that this isn’t the end of the world! It’s perfectly normal to get rejected at one interview.

Yes, I understand that your inability to answer these questions may have lowered your rating, but am pretty sure this wasn’t the reason they rejected your candidature. Having been an integral part of the media hiring practice I can say with vehemence that GK and Current Affairs isn’t the most critical skill that is looked for.

Having said that, it’s important to understand what went wrong. In the absence of detail on the answers that you gave, my answers would be generic. For instance, lying through the skin of your teeth or covering up on something that you haven’t the foggiest idea about could mean serious trouble! It’s important to be upfront on what you know and what you don’t recollect or are not familiar with.

It’s true that the interviewer – the Editor in this case – may not be a walking encyclopaedia of facts, but this isn’t the big picture. He/ She is there for a larger purpose and the very fact that he/ she has made it to that slot points to acumen of a fairly decent order. Do not lose hope and instead focus on brushing up on current affairs to avoid any embarrassment in the future.

Like I said be true, be candid and more importantly be honest !

This is the quality that most discerning interviewers look for. All the very best to you, my friend. Go for it!

 

My salary was cut recently because I got into office late three times a month. But how could I be there on time with the rains being so heavy? Sir, shouldn’t organisations relax their rules given the weather in Mumbai?

The eternal grouse..! No, there can’t be different sets of rules for the seasons in a year. This isn’t school, my friend.

The corporate world cannot afford such luxuries when it’s an eternal fight for survival and supremacy in the marketplace. You are a part of this and such trivia will only be detrimental to your prospects as a citizen of this market place.

Have you heard of the police force or our defence forces crying out loud asking for special treatment during the rains? Well this is what life is all about.

 

It’s not cradle time any longer. You are out in the open and a season cannot set you back like this. If you are sure the weathers gong to slow you down, then you jolly well set out early.

No shortcuts, buddy.

 

Sir, I would like to cycle my way to work. But there is no cycle stand in the office. While the government is trying to encourage cycling, shouldn’t it make it compulsory for offices to have cycle stands?

Oh boy, I seem to be having much luck with this week’s questions! I guess it’s time I reiterate that I am not your kindergarten teacher who’s here to listen to such ridiculous woes.

So what if there’s no cycle stand? Lock your cycle wherever and stop worrying about how it’s placed and where. How does it matter? If you chose to cycle, then you ought to find your own methods of keeping it safe and secure.

No, the Government of India has better things to do than crack a whip on corporates for a cycle stand. Yes, it’s important to stay fit, protect the environment and use less fuel, but that doesn’t mean every corporate must have a cycle stand..

At this rate, the next demand would be resting shelters all over the city so that the walkers can put up their feet Enroute their place of work.

Grow up, my friend. It’s about time.

 

I am in my final of year of graduation and want to be a copywriter. I have won several advertising contests and I think I am genuinely creative. Is there a course that you think would be good to take to be a copywriter?

Excellent! Sure there are several courses that can help you get a fairly stable theoretical foundation in copy. Some of them like the AAAI (Advertising Agencies Association of India) also offer internships and possible hiring offers from member agencies.

Besides this, you can opt for more intensive courses on advertising like the ones at MICA (Mudra Institute of Communication and Advertising)  Ahmedabad, Symbiosis Pune.

Additionally am sure there are several other institutes that offer courses in creative writing and copy. Yes, I would think it makes sense to go through a course to enable you get the right perspective of this stream.

I wish you all success in your creative career.

 

I am looking forward to a great weekend here in Pune accompanied by some awesome weather, super family and friend time and a couple of mugs of my favourite brew! You have a super Friday and an even better weekend with much fun and cheer. Do take good care of yourselves.

 

And yes, keep those questions coming at editor@mxmindia.com. Please do remember to superscribe ‘DearMxM’ and your ‘City’ in the subject line. I promise to handle them with care 🙂

 

Jaisurya Das, maverick and media evangelist, eats, sleeps and makes love to brands. His consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. He is also the Contributing Editor of MxM India. The views expressed in this column are his own.